Stuck In Quarantine With You
by Truthtakestime
Summary: After being exposed to a deadly virus, Syd, Lauren and Vaughn are quarantined together
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
"Agent Bristow, could I see you in my office for a minute please?" Sydney looked up from the file she had been reading, to see Dixon standing in front of her. The tone in his voice suggested that this question was more of an order not a request. Not wanting to annoy him she obliged.  
  
"Yeah sure." She closed over the file and followed him to his office. She had a shock when she entered the office, to find Vaughn and Lauren Reed already sitting there. She smiled at Vaughn and gave Lauren a cold glare, which she received back. It was safe to say that Lauren and Sydney were not exactly the best of friends. Lauren disliked Syd because she knew that her husband still loved her, and that she still loved him. Sydney didn't like Lauren because firstly she was married to the man that she loves and secondly that bitch had done everything she possibly could to make Sydney's life difficult since she had got back. She even tried to make Michael stop seeing Syd, but thankfully Michael set her straight and told her that he would always be close to Agent Bristow.  
  
"Please have a seat Sydney." He motioned to the empty chair, which was next to Vaughn. She sat silently, praying for this to be over quickly. "Two days ago, the three of you were on a mission to retrieve an ancient sealed box. The box was being analysed by another agent, who was finally able to open it. He died last night of a mystery virus, which is thought to have somehow come from the box." Dixon paused letting the first piece of information sink in. He knew for certain that they would definitely not like what was to come next.  
  
"The virus is thought to be highly contagious to those who have come into contact with it, and judging by what happened last night, the results can be fatal. Which is why I'm issuing that the three of you go into quarantine while we run some tests to check that you are ok." Sydney couldn't believe that she was hearing this, she had only ever been in quarantine once before and she had hated it. Well it wasn't that bad considering she got to spend the time with Vaughn. But now his wife was here too, she just prayed that they would be put in separate rooms.  
  
"How long will it be for?" Lauren sounded just as concerned as she was.  
  
"Could be a couple of days, maybe even a week. You will be able to keep some personal possessions with you such as your cell phone. I apologise again for the inconvenience." He looked at Sydney as he said this, which led her to believe that something worse was still to come. "As we already have some agents in quarantine, we don't have an awful lot of room. I suppose you know where I'm going with this?" He looked from agent to agent, waiting for a response.  
  
"Oh my God!" Vaughn was the first one to catch on. "You quarantining us together, aren't you?" His jaw dropped in disbelief. Both Sydney and Lauren looked at him, and then focused on Dixon.  
  
"I'm afraid so, Agent Vaughn. I know that you three are emotionally involved..."  
  
"That's a bit of an understatement." Sydney was only meant to say this under her breath, unaware that it would come out louder than intended. All three people in the room where looking at her, starting to blush, she cleared her throat and allowed Dixon to continue.  
  
"As I was saying, we do apologise for you having to share a room, but the quicker we get this started the quicker it will be over. Sydney was stunned. She couldn't stand even being in the same room as Lauren for more then five minutes, let alone a couple of days. The next few days were seriously going to be tough. Dixon opened the door, indicating for them to follow. All three agents stood up and headed out of the door. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Sydney, Lauren and Vaughn followed Dixon out of his office. They walked in total silence, each agent feeling slightly uncomfortable about the situation that they were in. After a couple of minutes, they found themselves walking down a highly secure corridor, quite like the one Sydney's mom was being kept in. As they walked past each room Vaughn observed the people sitting in them. The rooms looked more inhabitable then Irina's cell was and the agents in the rooms looked quite happy considering that they could be dying of a contagious virus. This is gonna be hell. I'm gonna be locked up in a room with my wife and ex-girlfriend!! Dixon stopped outside a vacant room and waited for a court marshal to come and open the door. The three of them still remained in silence, not one of them making eye contact with each other. After the door had been unlocked, Lauren and Vaughn entered leaving Sydney alone with Dixon. "Syd, I am so, so sorry about this. I tried to get you guys separated but there just wasn't enough time or room..." Dixon's face was full of regret, but his apology was cut short buy Sydney. "Hey, don't be. None of this is your fault. Besides I'm sure everything will be ok." She tried her best to put a brave smile on, but she wasn't sure of how convincing this looked to Dixon. It must have been enough to convince him, because he stepped aside and allowed her to enter the room. Sydney looked around her, as she entered the room. The first thing that stuck out was that there were only two single beds. Well we all know whose bed Vaughn will be sharing. And its definitely not mine. She could see that there was also a bathroom, which was separated off from the rest of the room. There was also a table, which had a couple of magazines, and a few bottles of water. Syd also noticed that were two windows in the room, one which probably provided a view of the street, and the other which gave a view of the dull corridor. "Agent Weiss has offered to bring over some things that you may need from home. Is there anything else that I can get you?" Dixon mainly looked at Sydney when he said this, leading her to believe that it was mostly her that he was talking to. Vaughn had noticed how there were only two beds and he was uncomfortable. His main priority her was Sydney, he didn't want her to be any more uncomfortable then she needed to be. He definitely wasn't going to sleep in the same bed as Lauren, not with Sydney just across the room. He knew that it would be torture for her, and he'd already caused her enough pain, he wasn't in any hurry to do it again. It would cause problems between him and Lauren but he would just have to face that later. "Actually Dixon, there is something that I need." Both Lauren and Sydney looked over in his direction, wondering what he could possibly want. "There are only two beds in here. Could I have some extra blankets and a pillow..." "Michael!?! What are you doing?" Sydney could make out if Lauren sounded hurt or just confused. It was slightly fun though to see the frown spread across her face. "What? I need somewhere to sleep." He turned back to look at Dixon waiting for his answer. "I am your wife Michael. Why can't you stay in the same bed as me?" She definitely looked hurt now. "You know why Lauren." Lauren must have understood his reason, because she glanced over at Sydney. Sydney caught her looking at her, and realised what Vaughn meant.  
  
"Look Vaughn, if this is because of me, don't..."  
  
"His name is Michael!" Lauren stated. After giving Lauren a cold glare, Sydney was about to continue when Vaughn turned to her. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. And if the tables were turned I wouldn't want to have to see you sharing a bed with another man, when I am still..." He stopped speaking as he remembered that his wife was in the room. He cleared his throat, trying to cover up his mistake. Realising that this was an argument that she wouldn't win, Sydney smiled at him. It flattered her that he was still concerned about her. She was slightly puzzled about what he was about to say, but deep down she already knew. Vaughn turned back to Dixon, and nodded at him, indicating that the extra blankets were needed. As Dixon left the room, the door was locked behind him, leaving the three of them alone.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
It had been a couple of hours since Dixon had left the room, and he still hadn't returned with Vaughn's things. It had remained silent ever since Dixon had left neither of them knowing what to say. Sydney and Vaughn couldn't talk to each other because of the cold glares they would receive from his wife, and there was absolutely no chance of Lauren and Syd communicating. All they wanted to do was slap the each other for being in love with the same man. Vaughn was sitting leaning against the wall, flipping a coin, which he had found in his pocket. Lauren was on the bed flipping through a magazine, but every so often she would look up to check what Michael was doing. Sydney was looking out of the window, watching a man load groceries into the back of his car, when he phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Taking it out of her pocket, she noticed that she had a new message. Opening it up she couldn't believe who it was from. How had he managed to write that whilst Lauren was watching him so closely? The message read: Hey Syd, I thought it would be easier for us to talk this way, since Lauren won't know what were saying. So how are doing? Vaughn x x  
  
She glanced up at him, to see a faint smile spread across his face, as he knew that she had his message. Lauren was totally oblivious to what was going on, which made it even more exiting for Sydney. She clicked the reply button, and began to type back to him. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
They had now found a way in which they could communicate, without Lauren listening in. Sydney was typing a message back to Vaughn, who was eagerly sitting on the other side of the room, waiting for her reply. Lauren had grown bored of her magazine, and had tossed it aside. She glared over at Sydney who looked like she was playing on her phone. She got up of the bed, and sat on the floor next to her husband. Vaughn was quite uncomfortable but he hid it well with a smile. Lauren was talking to him, in a hushed tone so that Sydney couldn't hear what she was saying. Not that Sydney was bothered; she had her own way of communicating with him. After finishing her message, she pressed send: Hey, I've been better. That was sweet what you did for me before, thank you. What about you-Are you ok? S-  
  
Sydney put her phone back in her pocket, as she thought that it would be a while until he could reply, seen as Lauren was sitting right next to him. So she stood next to the window, again, watching the ordinary people as they got on with their lives. Vaughn felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, but he couldn't read the message with Lauren looking over his shoulder. For the past couple of minutes she had been talking to him, but it was going in one ear and out the other. He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, all that he could think about was Sydney. He wanted to go over and talk freely to her, but that would definitely make his wife hit the roof. He made an excuse to Lauren that he needed a drink, and walked over to the table. Once he had his back to her, he took out his phone and read the message. Checking that Lauren was no where near him he replied to Syd's message: Don't worry about, she shouldn't have expected me to share a bed with her, knowing that you were in the room. Anyways, enough about her, let's talk about something different. What are you doing when we get out of here? Vaughn x  
  
Sitting on the bed, Vaughn took out a magazine and hid his phone in it. At least this way Lauren wouldn't guess what him and Syd were up to. He didn't wait long for a reply: Francie and I are meant to be going to Las Vegas for a couple days next week, that's if I haven't got this virus. I suppose you and Lauren will be doing something when we get out? S-  
  
I doubt that we will, I'll need a bit of space apart from her, we'll just have to wait and see. Are you not dating anybody? Vaughn  
  
He knew that it was probably not safe to go down this road, but he wanted to know. Even though she was no longer his main priority, he still cared about her.  
  
No, not right now. I'm just waiting for the right sort of guy. Besides you're a hard man to get over Agent Vaughn. S-  
  
After reading this message, Vaughn just wanted to run up to her and tell her how he still was not over her. Instead he sat gazing at her, admiring how the sun was shining in on her, making the colour of her hair glisten. Sydney tore her eyes away from the window, and looked at Vaughn. Their eyes met, and for what seemed like ages, they sat staring into each other's eyes. It was the sound of Lauren clearing her throat, which tore them apart. "Have you got a problem, Agent Bristow?" Lauren's voice was as cold and distant, as it always was when she was talking to Sydney. "Nothing that concerns you." Sydney spoke in the same tone that Lauren had used, and she even included a glare. Vaughn looked away from them and went back to writing his next message. Lauren was still giving Sydney nasty looks, but Syd was trying her best to ignore her. They were gonna be stuck with each other for a couple of days, and she didn't wanna be fighting on the first day. I'm sorry Syd; Lauren can be a little bit possessive at times. Just try not to let her get to you. Vaughn  
  
You don't have to apologise for her Vaughn, it's not your fault that she doesn't like me. Anyways, how long do you think we will be in her for? S-  
  
Just as Vaughn received her next message, there was a tap on the window. All three of them looked up to see Weiss smiling back at them. He must have just finished work, as he was still dressed in his usual black suit. Sydney walked over to the window to talk to him, and Vaughn joined her. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Syd was sitting on her bed, a pillow resting on her lap. Vaughn had arranged his blankets on the floor in between the two beds, conveniently more towards Sydney than Lauren. The main light had been turned off, the only light being provided by a small table lamp and the moon, which was shining through the window. Lauren was still asleep, and there were no signs of her waking anytime soon. Vaughn sat on the floor, his elbow resting on the edge of the bed, supporting his head. He knew it was late, but he had to make the most of this time with Syd. Besides he wasn't feeling as tired as he usually was, maybe it was the company that he was in. "Do you remember the last time we were in quarantine?" Vaughn looked up at her, waiting for her response. "Yeah I do. I felt really bad going home, knowing that you had to stay here." Sydney smiled at him, thanking God that nothing had happened to him. The light was shining on the side of his face; his green eyes appeared to be glistening more than usual. "I was so relieved when you walked into that bar after they had let you go." "You weren't the only one." They both laughed together. "Vaughn. Do you remember that morning, we had just woken up, and you were about to say something to me, but somebody came in?" He nodded to her, so she continued. "Well, you never told me what you were going to say." This was more of a request than an observation, and Vaughn felt an obligation to give her an answer. Even though this was over two years ago, he still remembered exactly what he was going to say. "I had been awake all that night, I wasn't really in much of a mood to sleep, considering that I thought we were ill. I was just laying there watching you sleep, thinking about the past two years that we had known each other. I was remembering all the missions we had been on, the troubles we had faced. And I realised that meeting you brought a lot of difficulties into my life. But what was more important was the fact that you made my life a whole lot better." He stopped to check that Lauren was still asleep. "So that morning I was going to tell you all of this, and I was also going to tell you how much I was in love with you." Sydney blushed at what he was saying to her. "I don't quite know what to say..." She was totally lost for words. "What would you have done if I had told you?" Vaughn asked curiously. Sydney looked at the window for a couple of seconds, trying to imagine what she would have done. "I suppose I would have had to confess, and tell you that I felt the same way." "Felt? Past tense!" He almost kicked himself for saying that but it was like her couldn't stop himself. "Vaughn, don't. I can't do this, your married." Sydney's eyes glistened with tears that were waiting to fall. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that." Vaughn tore his eyed away from her, feeling embarrassed about what he had just said. They were silent for a couple of minutes, each thinking about what had just happened. Vaughn rolled up this left sleeve, revealing a silver watch. "I still wear it you know, my father's watch." He held his arm out, providing her with a view of the watch. She studied the watch, remembering the conversation that they had had, over two years ago.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Syd...One more thing before you go." Vaughn waited for her to turn around before her continued. They were both standing in the warehouse where they would always meet. She had just found out her counter mission, and she was leaving as Vaughn called her back. He was undoing his watch, which she had seen him wear countless times before. "This watch belonged to my father. It doesn't work now, but it used to keep perfect time. And when he gave it to me, he said you could always set your heart by this watch... It stopped October 1st, the day we met." He looked relieved to be finally getting this off of his chest. Sydney understood what he was telling her, he was in love with her. Just like she was in love with him. There was a minute of silence, whilst they just stared into each other's eyes. Vaughn had noticed how Sydney's eyes had gone all watery, it was obvious that she was overcome with emotion. She was about to respond to him, when both of their pagers, simultaneously beeped. Both of them looked at their pagers to see who it was. "Kendall" Vaughn stated. He was slightly annoyed at Kendall's timing. Only he would have the ability to ruin what could have been a perfect moment. Sydney looked away from Vaughn, searching for something to say. "Me too." She added, smiling gently at him. It was out, they both knew how the other felt.  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Why do you still wear it, if it doesn't work?" Sydney knew deep down that she already knew the answer to this, but she had to ask anyway. "This watch is a reminder to me, it reminds me of where my heart truly lies." He reached out and took hold of her hand. Linking their fingers together, he continued, "And I never want you to forget that." "So, why did you do it Vaughn? Why did you get married?" Sydney withdrew her hand, from his. She felt bad questioning him like this, but she needed to know the truth. How could he be saying this to her, if he went and married another woman? He sighed, he had been expecting this question for quite awhile, but he was surprised at how long it had taken her to ask it. "Syd, when you went missing, it almost killed me. I lost my best friend, the one person that I loved...my soul mate. I disappeared from the country for several months it was just way too hard for me to stay here. There were just too many reminders. When I met Lauren, she helped me to see that even though you were gone, you would also be a part of me. She was really similar to you, her spirit, her commitment to the job, and to me..." Vaughn please don't compare us like this. I am nothing like that woman." Sydney pointed at Lauren as she spoke, her voice raising slightly in disgust. "I know that you two don't exactly get along well, but deep down, she is a nice person. She just gets a little insecure about certain things. As I was saying I think that the main reason why I married her, was because I could see a lot of you in her, so being with her, reminded me of the good times I shared with you." Sydney moved forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. He responded by pulling her towards him, embracing her in a hug. Sydney was the one to pull apart. "I'm pretty tired now. I think I might try and get some sleep." Vaughn nodded but he remained where he was sitting. Sydney settled in the bed, her eyes feeling heavier by the minute. Vaughn moved, so that he was seated next to where she was laying, their faces not far apart. "Goodnight Syd." He kissed her gently on the forehead, before settling back down. As her eyes began to close she could feel him gently stroking the side of her face, helping her to fall asleep. She felt so safe knowing that she was sleeping next to the man that she loved. She closed her eyes, feeling like everything was just how it should be. Vaughn rested his head on the bed, as he continued to stroke her face. Even though he wasn't completely comfortable, he just couldn't tear himself away from her bedside. So he closed his eyes, and he too fell asleep next to the person he loved. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
For the past ten minutes, Lauren had been laying with her eyes shut. She was replaying yesterday's incidents over in her mind. She knew deep down in her heart that Vaughn would never cheat on her, they loved each other too much for that to happen. But this was different. She had this nagging feeling that Sydney Bristow was capable of making that man do anything she wanted. No, she dismissed this feeling her husband would never intentionally do anything to hurt her. She considered that she could have acted differently towards Sydney. There was no need for the glares and remarks that she had made against her. That's when she decided that she would try her hardest to be nicer to Sydney today, and if things went well, they could even become friends. Lauren rubbed her eyes, looking up to see the dull painting on the ceiling. She stretched her arms above her head, as she wondered just how long they thought they would be stuck in there for. Still feeling slightly tired; she managed to sit herself up, to see where her husband was. That's when she saw it. She rubbed her eyes again, checking that she was seeing correctly. She couldn't believe what was in front of her. She pinched her arm, just to check that she was awake, and that this wasn't some sort of horrible nightmare. But no. The sight was still in front of her. Even though it sickened her, she just couldn't manage to tear her eyes away. Her husband was sat on the floor, leaning on Sydney's bed. His arm was across her chest, with his hand resting on her face. They both looked so happy and comfortable as if they had forgotten the fact that he had a wife. Their faces were only inches apart, which made Lauren wonder whether or not he had kissed Syd. She couldn't believe that minutes ago, she had been defending them both, telling herself that she had acted too hastily. As she got angrier, her breaths became faster and deeper. She grabbed the pillow off her bed, and launched it at his head, hoping it would wake him up.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Sydney stood looking out of the window. It was a bright, sunny day and the sky was totally clear apart from the odd cloud that floated by. The view from the window was spectacular, she was surprised that she had never visited this place before. She was just beginning to stare of into space, when a pair of arms came and engulfed her in a hug. She turned around to see Vaughn standing in his black boxer shorts, looking all sleepy. "Hey." She greeted him with a kiss. "What were you looking at?" He glanced over at the window, wondering what she could have found so fascinating. "I was admiring the view, but it suddenly got a lot better." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer towards her. "Seriously, it's beautiful here Vaughn, I can't believe I've never been to Santa Barbara before." She gave him a quick kiss before walking towards the bathroom. "I knew you'd like it here. It's the perfect place for our first vacation. Shall I order breakfast?" He picked up the menu to see what was available for them to have brought up. "Sure, I'll have whatever you're having." She winked at him as she closed the bathroom door.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Two hours later, Sydney was lying near the pool, watching Vaughn as he swam across the pool. The water just seemed to glide so easily over his body, making it easier for him to swim faster. Sydney was trying to read her book, but it was hard to concentrate when all she wanted to do was watch him. He realised that she was watching him, so he swam over to the edge of the pool. Running his hands through his wet hair, he motioned for her to go over to him. "I've got something to tell you. Come here." She fell for it, as she put down her book, and walked over to him. "Yes..." "I wanted to tell you..." He took hold of her hand, and pulled her towards the water, causing her to topple into the pool. It was a good job that she was already wearing her bikini, otherwise she might just have killed him. She emerged to the surface, actually looking quite amused. Pushing her hair away from her face, she swam over to him, and playfully splashed him with water. "That was cute Agent Vaughn." He laughed, and pulled her towards him. "I did actually have something that I wanted to say to you." He paused for a minute, taking her hand in his. "I love you Syd." She smiled at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I love you too!" She leaned forward and passionately kissed him, realising that her life was not perfect. Nothing could ever spoil how happy she was feeling now.  
  
Sydney was awakened from her dream, by Vaughn moving his arm away from her. He had just been woken up, although he was quite unsure about what had been the reason for this. He ran his hands through his hair, as he tried to stretch his spine back into shape. He had been lying next to her bed all night, and although it wasn't the comfiest place to sleep, he wasn't complaining as he had spent the night next to the woman he loved. Sydney rolled over to face him. "Hey." He smiled at her. "Morning. What time is it?" Sydney rubbed her eyes, trying to get them to stay open. She missed seeing Vaughn each morning when she woke up, he always looked so cute with his hair all ruffled and messed up. Vaughn took his phone out of his pocket. "It's just turned nine o'clock." "I had the nicest dream last night." Sydney propped herself so she was resting on her elbow. Looking into his eyes, she continued. "We were both on vacation in Santa Barbara, and oh my god Vaughn it was gorgeous. We were playing in the pool, and just having fun. It was like nothing had changed." She looked away from him, afraid that she had said to much. She quickly tried to change the subject. Lauren sat in silence waiting for one of them to notice that she was watching them. It appeared that they had both forgotten that she was stuck in there with them. She decided to wait for the perfect moment to spoil their fun. "Where you not uncomfortable sleeping next to my bed all night?" Sydney looked at him questioningly. "No, I slept perfectly thanks. Usually I lie awake at night, wondering about what you are doing, who you are with. But last night it felt like old times. Like we were both where we were meant to be." He took a hold of her hand. "Look Vaughn, about last night..." Vaughn placed his hand over her mouth. "Syd, we don't need to talk about that. We both know how we feel." "Actually Vaughn, I'd like to here what went on last night. You two looked pretty cosy this morning. "They both looked up to see Lauren glaring at them from the other side of the room. "Well go on, what are you waiting for?" 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
"Lauren how long have you been standing there for?" Vaughn stood up, turning to face her. She looked really cross at him, like he had done something terrible. "Long enough Michael. What do you think you're doing? You refuse to sleep in the same bed as your own wife, but its ok for you to sleep with her, your ex-girlfriend?" Lauren rose from the bed with her hands pressed firmly on her hips. Her eyes were glaring at him, waiting for some sort of response. He rolled his eyes at her. "We didn't sleep together Lauren so don't even try to accuse me of cheating on you." He couldn't believe what she was accusing him of; she just didn't understand what Sydney meant to him. Every time they had a fight Sydney was always mentioned in it. "Cut the crap, I saw the two of you this morning when I woke up. I always knew that you were still in love with her, but you could at least be a man and admit it! You're acting like you've done nothing wrong."  
  
"Vaughn has done nothing wrong Lauren. Why don't you calm and we can talk about this like adults?" Sydney got up off the bed, standing next to Vaughn. "I've told you once before it's Michael not Vaughn. And I'm trying to have a conversation with my husband, or do I need you to be there for that as well? Ever since you've got back all you have done is interfere in my marriage, why can't you just move on with you life? You need to face facts, he's no longer yours, he's mine, so get over it!" Lauren was feeling quite pleased for herself, she had finally told Sydney what she had wanted to say for a very long time.  
  
She could see the shock on Sydney's face turn to anger at Lauren's words sunk in. "Lauren that was uncalled for. You have no right talking to her like that. She can call me whatever name she wants; she doesn't need your permission. And just for the record, I'm not your possession, I never have been, and I never will..."  
  
Sydney took a step forward towards Lauren, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who do you think you are? You blame other people for the troubles in your marriage, but it's not my fault if you don't know how to keep a man happy." She wasn't usually a nasty person, but with Lauren she just couldn't help herself. "And as for me getting over Vaughn, there's things that me and him share, that you are incapable of ever sharing with him. So you get over that!" She walked into the bathroom to freshen up; she couldn't handle anymore of Lauren's whining. It was bad enough that she had to stay in the same room as his wife, but she shouldn't have to put up with her accusations. Lauren was taking deep breaths trying to control her anger. Her fists were clenched at her sides, waiting to punch somebody. But unfortunately her desired target left the room, leaving her with her husband.  
  
Vaughn sat down on the bed, running his hand through his hair. He felt like screaming and breaking out of quarantine, even at the risk of spreading the virus that they could have. Lauren's eyes were piercing right through him as she sat scowling on the other side of the room.  
  
"Michael we need to talk." She spoke in a hushed tone, to ensure that Sydney couldn't hear them. Vaughn remained silent but he looked at her waiting to listen to what she had to say. "What's going on between us Michael? You never back me up, it's always Sydney who you side with." Lauren's eyes welled up at the thought of having this conversation with her husband.  
  
Vaughn moved towards the window, wanting to see what was going on outside this nightmare. He remembered all the times that he had defended Sydney over Lauren. He had done it yesterday when they first entered this nightmare. He couldn't help himself, it was as if defending her cam naturally to him. Ever since she had gone missing he had secretly blamed himself. Every night he would lay awake wondering what he could have done to prevent her 'death'. When he finally would fall asleep he would have the same recurring dream, where Sydney goes missing and he can do absolutely nothing to stop that. What am I supposed to tell her – oh yeah I'm in love with another woman, that's why I never back you up!?!? He dismissed this thought, and opted for a more subtle approach. "Lauren I don't think that this is exactly the best place to talk about this..." He was interrupted by Sydney re-entering the room. He looked at her, and could immediately tell that she had been crying. It almost broke his heart that she was upset by all of this, as none of it was her fault. She finally made eye contact with him, and he mouthed: "Are you alright?" She smiled and nodded at him, as she took a seat on the bed. Silence filled the room, as all three agents sat wrapped up in their own thoughts.  
  
It was the sound of a man entering the room that caught their attention. He was dressed in a white protection suit, with a small glass panel in front of his face. He was carrying a standard CIA clipboard, which had a couple of sheets of paper attached. "Hi, my name is Dr Gray, and I'm one of the medical researchers here at the CIA." He could feel the tension in the atmosphere, so he thought it would be best to get straight to the point. "We will need for each of you to come with us for a series of medical tests, to rule out whether or not you are infected. The tests should take no, longer than two hours and then we should have the results within the next 24 hours." "What happens if one of us is infected?" Vaughn didn't want to hear the answer but he knew that he had to be prepared either way. "Well if the tests prove that one of you is carrying the virus, you will be sectioned at the hospital, where you will undergo treatment that will hopefully save you life. The tests are nothing to worry about, and you all will hopefully be out in a couple of days. So anymore questions?"  
  
They all shook their heads, so he took out a pen and began to write as he spoke. "Agent Reed would you like to follow me this way please?" He motioned for her to follow him out of the door. She walked towards the door but stopped just before she left. Without turning around she spoke to her husband: "We'll talk when I get back." This sounded like an order, which gave Vaughn the impression that there was no getting out of it. He tried to look on the bright side, at least now they could have a proper conversation without Lauren watching their every move. 


	7. Chatper 7

Chapter 7  
  
It had been five minutes since Lauren had left. Sydney had taken her usual spot near the window, avoiding any eye contact with Vaughn. She had thought that with Lauren gone it would be easier for them to talk, but now she was unsure about what to say to him. Judging by the silence he felt the same way to. Vaughn had sat down on the bed, but the silence was driving in sane. He knew that they should probably make the most of the time they had alone. "Syd-" His voice was soft and gentle, just like it always was when he spoke to her. She turned around, but remained near the window.  
  
"Why don't you come and sit down, and we can talk?" He asked moving along the bed, making room for her petit body. "Ok." She said taking a seat beside him, hugging her knees with her arms.  
  
"So...Are you still a big hockey fan?" Sydney started off the conversation, choosing a topic that she knew he loved.  
  
"Yeah, but I haven't been to a game in a while. Lauren's not much of a sports fan, and Weiss is always preoccupied with work. We should go sometime, that is if you're not too busy." He looked at her hopefully, wishing that she would say yes.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Sydney and Vaughn returned to her apartment from the hockey game hand in hand. It had been a great night; they no longer had SD-6 to worry about, so they were free to be seen in public. They had been talking ever since they had left the game, and now Syd was telling Vaughn what she liked about the hockey game.  
  
"I loved the zamboni." She said her face lighting up.  
  
"Zamboni's your favourite part?" He asked questioningly, as he raised his eyebrow at her. He loved how she could always amaze him, even with the slightest things.  
  
"No. Coming home with you after the game is my favorite part." She smiled as she stepped towards him, taking hold of his hand. She pulled him towards her, and teasingly kissed him on the lips. Vaughn was the first to break away, taking a step back and kissing the back of her hand.  
  
"Zamboni was a close second." She said winking at him.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The memory of their first hockey game came to mind. He had so much fun that night it was unbelievable, he was able to share the two things he loved most in the world: hockey and Sydney Bristow. But was that still the case? This was a question that he wouldn't allow himself to answer he need more time to sort out his thought.  
  
"Sure, I'll go with you. It'll be great to see the zamboni again." She added with a chuckle, not knowing the question that Vaughn was pondering in his mind.  
  
"Great. I'll have to book tickets next time the Kings are in town, providing we make it out of here." He looked down at the floor, praying that they were not sick. He had pushed his previous thought to the back of his mind, telling himself he would deal with it later. "Hey, we've survived it once before right? I'm sure we can do it again." She took hold of his hand and gently squeezed it. He felt comforted by the fact that she was so optimistic about them being ok.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Sydney had just received a message that she was wanted over at the medical facility. Entering the room, she saw a couple of doctors huddled together looking over notes they had on their clipboards. "You asked to see me?" She said cautiously wondering why there were so many doctors there, and what they could possibly want with her.  
  
"Agent Bristow, I'm Doctor Nicholas." One of the doctors stepped forward, offering his hand for her to shake.  
  
She declined on the offer, wanting to get straight to the point. "What's going on?"  
  
Sensing her worry, the Doctor began to ask her questions. "Five weeks ago you infiltrated one of your mother's laboratories in Taipei where you discovered a Rambaldi device. How long were you in proximity to the device?" He looked over his glasses at her awaiting her response.  
  
"I... it took me about a minute to rig it with explosives. I made it to the other side of the door but Vaughn was submerged. I don't know maybe another minute or two. Will someone please tell me what's going on?" She wasn't expecting that sort of question. What did that mission have to do with anything?  
  
"We believe the device is the source of the virus that infected the men in Geneva. Unfortunately, you and Agent Vaughn may have been exposed. I'm sorry. We'd like to draw some blood and keep you under observation."  
  
She thought about this for a moment: I have been exposed! What if I'm infected, Vaughn – what if he gets sick. She pondered these thoughts for a moment, but then something more important came to mind. "If Sloane pages me, this is gonna be a problem."  
  
"Your father's been informed. He's covering for you." He led Sydney out of the room, and down a couple of corridors. They stopped when they had reached the isolation room. She entered the room, to see Vaughn sitting on the bed, dressed in a tight T-shirt. Once he saw her he stood up, his face displaying the same amount of worry as hers. She just stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Eventually he spoke.  
  
"I know." He voice was sympathetic, as he understood what she was feeling. She walked over to him, and they sat next to each other on the bed. He gently put his arm around her, holding her closely. Feeling safe for the first time that day, she rested her head on his shoulder. The next morning, Sydney awoke to see Vaughn smiling at her. She had to admit, it hadn't been her best night's sleep, but she drew comfort from the fact that he was near to her. The man she loved.  
  
"Hi." She said sleepily.  
  
"Hey." He looked just as hot in the morning as he did at any other time during the day.  
  
"Did you close your eyes at all?"  
  
"On and off. You talk in your sleep." He laughed at the shock on her face.  
  
"No! What did I say?" She couldn't believe he had heard her talking in her sleep. She just prayed to God that she didn't say anything embarrassing, like telling him how she really felt.  
  
""Don't frost the pie!" It seemed really important." He mimicked the voice she had used, causing them both to laugh.  
  
"No idea...You think we're sick?" She couldn't remember the dream she had that made her say that, so she changed the subject.  
  
His eyes saddened as he searched for the right answer to tell her. Realizing that he didn't have one, he decided to tell her the truth. "I don't know."  
  
"Vaughn, can I tell you something?" She was going to go for it; she was going to tell him how she felt. How every night she had gone home wishing that he were with her, lying beside her. It was time to tell him that she loved him, more than she had ever loved anybody before.  
  
Just as she was about to speak, the door opened and in walked Doctor Nicholas. Talk about spoiling the moment. "Agent Bristow, your tests came back negative for antibodies, you're free to go. Agent Vaughn, your tests at this point are inconclusive. We did find a heightened level of antibodies in your blood stream but you could simply be fighting off a cold. We won't know for a few more hours. You'll have to stay." Sydney didn't want to leave, but she knew she had no choice. She just wanted to stay with him, and tell him that everything would be ok. But she couldn't.  
  
"You said Sark tested patient's blood at the first sign of infection. What was the sign?" She wanted to know as much about this virus as she could, if she had any chance of saving Vaughn's life.  
  
"Hemorrhaging from the fingernails." He didn't give her much detail; he just took one last look at Vaughn, and left the room.  
  
"It'll be fine. Your dad's hearing's in an hour, you should go." Vaughn tried to reassure her; he didn't want her worrying about him, when she had more important things to think about, like her Dad's hearing.  
  
Knowing that he was right, she nodded and put her boots on her feet. "I'll see you soon." She said optimistically  
  
"Yeah."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
And she was right, a couple of hours later he had come to a bar where she was, and had a drink sent over to her. They had both survived and she was determined that it would happen again. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
An hour later, Lauren had still not returned. Vaughn hadn't seemed to notice as he and Syd were having too much fun reminiscing about the past. They had talked about previous missions, that they had been part of, things they had done as a couple, and other random events. They both felt like they could openly talk to each other, just like they could over two years ago before Syd went missing.  
  
"What was it like growing up in France?" Sydney asked, wanting to know details of his childhood.  
  
"It was great. We had a nice house, which was surrounded by beautiful trees and animals. But I spent most of the time travelling around Europe because of my father's work." He stopped as memories of his father came to mind. He didn't blame Sydney for what happened to him, it wasn't her fault that he was killed. It was her mother's. But each time his name came into a conversation, Sydney couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, as if she had caused his father to lose his life. Sydney regretted asking the question, when she saw the saddened look on Vaughn's face, but he put on a brave face and continued with the conversation. "So what about you? I bet you were on of those girls who always dated the football captain or something."  
  
Sydney laughed, feeling relieved that he could manage to put all his pain aside to stop her from felling guilty. "No I wasn't. I only dated one football player and the rest were just ordinary guys." She smiled as she answered him. "You were probably the one who had the girls queuing around the block for a date with you. Am I right?" She asked.  
  
"No, what makes you say that?" He cheeks reddened, contrasting with his white T-shirt. "So your saying you had no girlfriends when you were going through high school?" She raised her eyebrow questioningly at him, not believing his story.  
  
"I didn't say that. Sure I had girlfriends but they weren't exactly queuing around the block. First kiss?" He knew that they shouldn't be going down this road, but he tried to block out the reality that he had a wife. For now it was just him and Sydney sharing secrets.  
  
She took a deep breath before answering him. "I was thirteen, and his name was Bobby Watson. He was in my English class and I was so happy when he asked me to go out on a date with him... Why are you laughing?" She was cut off by the sound of Vaughn's distinct laugh.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just think it's funny that you kissed someone called Bobby. It doesn't seem like something you'd do." His eyes glistened with tears of laughter.  
  
"Hey!" She playfully hit him on the arm. "Don't tease me ok? I was thirteen. I doubt you could do any better?"  
  
"Actually, I was twelve and her name was Catherine Emmett. See I told you I could do better."  
  
"Ok, you win. So...who was she?" Sydney was enjoying finding out about Vaughn's childhood, she felt like they were now truly friends again.  
  
"She lived a couple of houses down from me, and we had been friends for about a year. But then her parents moved her away to England, and I haven't seen her since." Vaughn shrugged, it had never really bothered him that he and Catherine had lost contact. He had more important people in his life now. Sydney laughed at him again, he was so cute when he was telling stories.  
  
"Hey I forgot to mention Eric's birthday to you. It's next Friday, and I've organised a surprise party for him, considering we're not sick. He thinks that its only going to be a couple of friends coming over for a drink, so he'll get a bit of a surprise when he sees the amount of people I've invited. You should come, he'll want you to be there."  
  
"Thanks, I'll be there. What about Lauren, would it be a problem if she came?" He had finally thought about her, and knew that if he were going to this party, then she would want to be there too.  
  
"Sure, she's your wife Vaughn. I can't stop her from doing anything." Sydney looked down at her knees, she really wanted Vaughn to be at the party, but she didn't know if she could handle Lauren coming with him. She realised that she would just have to put up with her, despite how she felt.  
  
"Sydney can I ask you a question?" He asked quietly. She nodded so he continued.  
  
"Do you think that it is wrong to be married to somebody even though you dream that it was somebody else?" It was time to be honest with her. He had doubts in his mind, and he was hoping that she would be able to help him with them.  
  
"Vaughn, if this is about you and me...I don't know what to say. You chose to marry another woman, nothing can change that." It hurt her to say that, even though all she wanted to do was to have him hold her and tell her that everything would be ok. "I know how you SAY you feel about me, but the question is how do you feel about your wife?" Their eyes met as they each thought of something else to say.  
  
"What do you mean how I say I feel about you? Sydney you KNOW how I feel about you, it's you that I love." He felt hurt at the thought that she didn't believe him.  
  
She couldn't believe what she was about to say, but somehow she couldn't manage to stop the words from rolling off of her tongue. "Then prove it." 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
They sat looking into each other's eyes. Sydney didn't regret asking him to prove his love to her, but by the look on Vaughn's face he was slightly unsure about how to prove it. Her heart was pounding in her chest whilst she waited for him to make his move. It was now time to see whether or not what he was saying was true.  
  
Vaughn's head was swimming in emotion. He so wanted to prove his love, but he thought back to his wife. The woman who he had promised to love and to cherish, until death did them part. Could he really hurt her in this way? He considered all the times that he had spent with Lauren, but he found himself comparing those occasions to times he had spent with Syd. He knew that he was hurting the two people who he cared about most, and it was time to put one of them out of their misery. He couldn't continue to hurt Lauren in this way, it was unfair to her, and more importantly it was unfair to him and Sydney.  
  
"Sydney, if you want me to divorce Lauren then I will, because it's not her who I really want to be with. As soon as she comes back I will tell her that we're over. Ok?" He felt like he was beginning to prove himself to her, but judging by the look on her face this wasn't what she wanted.  
  
"That's not what I meant Vaughn, and you know it." Her eyes welled up as she spoke. "You obviously don't love me the way you say you do, seen as you can't even prove to me how much apparently I mean to you." She got up of the bed, and walked over to the window. It was times like these that she wished she could just run away from her problems. She felt embarrassed for building her hopes up, about him still loving her. When he blatantly didn't.  
  
He also got up off the bed, and followed her over to the window. Without speaking he turned her around to face him, and pulled her into his arms. Her heart literally skipped a beat, as he leant forward and kissed her. Without hesitating she returned the kiss. Finally Vaughn broke away, and looked deep in her eyes.  
  
"Was that what you had in mind?" He asked flirtatiously. She laughed before responding. "Well it's a start." She kissed him again and suddenly they found themselves moving towards the bed. Their lips never parted as they fell down onto the bed, both of them happy about being back in each other's arms. Vaughn had his arms around her, holding her close, whilst she ran her hands through his hair, memories from two years ago re-entering her mind.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile:  
  
Lauren sat on the bed in one of the medical labs. She had just spent the last two hours having all kinds of medical tests taken. She had never been a fan of hospitals but had made it worst. She had been waiting for the doctor to come back to let her go, but he had been gone for the past half an hour. Finally he returned.  
  
"Mrs Reed, we don't have all of your tests back yet, but there was one result which clearly stood out to us." He stood in front of her, his face solemn.  
  
"Well, what is it? Am I sick, is that what you're gonna tell me." The look on his face was worrying Lauren, all she wanted was for him to tell her what she knew so that she could return to her husband.  
  
"We don't know right now, whether or not you are sick, but we noticed something during your tests that I don't think you know yet. I'm afraid you pregnant Agent Reed. I'll give you some time to yourself before we take you back." He turned and left the room, slowly closing the door behind him.  
  
She couldn't believe this. Pregnant!?!? Her and Michael had always wanted children, but she didn't know if she was quite ready. It would mean losing nine months of her life, he figure would be spoilt, and her job at the CIA would be none existent. They would never agree to having a pregnant woman on a mission, and she definitely didn't want to be stuck behind a desk all day. She just couldn't do that. And what about Michael? How would he react to her being pregnant? Her head was banging as all these worries came to mind. Taking deep breaths she prepared herself to going back to face her husband.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Vaughn couldn't believe how lucky he felt. He was lying next to Sydney Bristow, his one true love. He had forgotten all about Lauren, but obviously Sydney hadn't because she pulled away from him. She had been remembering how much she had missed being in this part of his life, romantic part. But she soon realised that she wasn't. Lauren was.  
  
"Syd, what's wrong?" Vaughn stroked the side of her face.  
  
"I can't...we can't Vaughn. As much as I want to, it's wrong. You are married. I thought I could do this, but I was wrong." She sat up, moving away from him. "Every time I think that I can't get more hurt by you, I do. And I'm sick and tired about setting myself up to get hurt. It's just not worth it." She swallowed hard, trying to remove the lump that had formed in her throat. "We need to face facts Vaughn, you're never gonna leave her, it's all just a fancy dream. And as always dreams come to an end." She sighed; these were words that she thought she would never say to Michael Vaughn.  
  
"Sydney, I'm sorry for everything I've put you through since you came back. My intentions were never to hurt you, but even if you think it's not worth it, I do. I'm not gonna lose you twice." He looked down at the floor, wondering how she would respond.  
  
"Vaughn – "She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Sydney stopped speaking as Lauren entered the room followed by Dr. Nicholas. Lauren looked a little paler than usual, as if she was worrying about something. She looked relieved to see Vaughn again, even though this feeling wasn't returned. He would wait for a moment alone with her, to tell her about what he was planning, but he didn't want to make a scene, especially with one of the CIA's doctors in the room. He also needed to finish his conversation with Sydney but he thought that it would wait.  
  
"Lauren are you ok?" He did the concerned husband routine, hoping she wouldn't realize that something was wrong.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ok. Actually Michael," She paused looking at Dr. Nicholas, knowing that he was waiting to take her husband for some tests. The doctor understood what she was wanting, and nodded. "There's something that I really need to talk to you about... in private." She cast a cold glance at Sydney, indicating that her presence was unwanted.  
  
"Yeah, I need to talk to you about something as well." Sydney watched as Vaughn lead his wife into the corner of the room so that they could 'talk.' This was it, he was finally going to break up with her.  
  
"You go first. You were gone for a long time, was something wrong with your tests?" He knew deep down that he didn't love Lauren the way that he should, but he still cared about her. And if she was sick or in trouble he wanted to help.  
  
"The results which tell me whether or not I have the virus haven't come back yet. But that's not what I wanted to say." She spoke in a hushed tone, so that Sydney couldn't hear. "When Dr. Nicholas was doing the tests, he found something out which I didn't know about." She took a deep breath preparing her for what she was about to say. "I'm pregnant Michael."  
  
The expressions on his face told Lauren that this was the last thing that he was expecting her to say. "Your what?" He couldn't believe what she was saying to him. They had discussed having children before but nothing had been decided upon. Sydney looked over at them wondering what they were talking about.  
  
Vaughn stared at Lauren in disbelief. "How can you be pregnant Lauren? We haven't... you know in a long time. There must be some kind of mistake." Everything was going wrong in his life. He had wanted Sydney to be his wife, but he ended up marrying Lauren, and he had always thought that someday him and Sydney would have children together. But no. He had managed to get another woman pregnant.  
  
"What are you trying to say Michael? That I've slept with someone else? How could you even think that? You know that I love you even though you don't love me."  
  
"That's not what I meant. This is just such the wrong time!" He rubbed his eyes trying to make himself believe that this was just some crazy nightmare that he would soon wake out of.  
  
"What's so wrong with now? What was it you wanted to tell me?" She asked anxiously.  
  
Chapter 10 (part 2)  
  
Vaughn looked into Lauren's eyes. Confusion was spread all across her face. He knew the answer to her questions, but could he bring himself to share it with her? He ran his hand through his hair, trying to find a way to break the truth to her. But he couldn't. There was no easy way of telling her that he wanted to leave her for another woman. Not now that she was carrying his child.  
  
"Nothing, it doesn't matter anymore." He lied to his wife AGAIN.  
  
"Ok. I guess you should probably go an have your tests and then we can talk when you get back." She kissed him on the cheek, and he forced a smile across his face. Regretting not telling her, he turned to leave the room. He couldn't bring himself to look at Sydney. He had lied to her too by breaking his promise about telling Lauren the truth. He would just have to deal with the consequences later.  
  
Sydney realised that he hadn't told Lauren, the minute that she kissed her husband on the cheek. That wasn't usually something you do to someone when they have broken up with you. She watched as he left the room, avoiding looking at her. How could he lie to me? He's gonna stay with her, and I'll end up alone as always. Why is it that every time I get close to him something happens to drive us apart? Sydney wanted the answers to these questions but she just didn't have them. The only person that did was Vaughn and he had left leaving her with Lauren. She hadn't liked Lauren since the first day they met.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A couple of months ago:  
  
Sydney burst into Dixon's office, not bothering to knock. He was sat at his desk, with a pile of papers in his hand, and he looked up from his work as she entered the room. "Sydney..." He tried to talk to her, but she cut him off.  
  
"I appreciate that you think it's good for me to know that there are other people out there who've experienced what I have, but you cannot put me into that group!" She was angry with him, he could tell, but he had only been trying to help her.  
  
"Sydney..." He tried again to talk to her, but she wouldn't let him speak.  
  
"Look, I'm not even gonna pretend that it isn't hard losing Vaughn. Do I still have feelings for him? Of course I do. Finding out that..." She was trying hard to control her anger, but talking about the man she lost wasn't easy for her.  
  
This time it was Dixon's turn to interrupt: "Sydney. This is Lauren Reed." He turned to face a young, blonde woman who was sitting in the corner of the room. Sydney hadn't bothered to check that Dixon was alone before she barged in, she was just too eager to get her point across to him. "She is going to be our new liaison to the National Security Council." Dixon continued.  
  
Sydney was embarrassed for making a fool of herself in front of someone from the NSC. She apologized to Dixon, feeling colour rise to her cheeks. ": I... I didn't mean to interrupt." She turned to face Lauren. "I didn't know you were here... I... I'm sorry." Lauren looked friendly enough, so Syd hoped that she wouldn't judge her for her little outburst.  
  
Lauren stood up, and walked towards Sydney to shake her hand. "It's okay, really." She definitely wasn't an American as she spoke with an accent. Sydney smiled, and turned to leave but Dixon talking stopped her. "Apparently, you had a conversation with Bob Lindsay in the men's room of the federal building in which you made your distaste for him abundantly clear." Sydney nodded felling even more embarrassed. She noticed that Lauren was watching her, and she dreaded to think what that woman thought of her, as she certainly wasn't making a good impression. "I guess I did."  
  
"Well, he got the message, because he decided to return to Washington. He's assigned Agent Reed here in his place to assist our efforts against The Covenant. She'll also be looking into the murder of Andrian Lazarey as part of a joint investigation with the Kremlin." Dixon informed her.  
  
Sydney was quite surprised by this, but now everything was becoming clearer. She turned to Lauren. "If there's anything I can do to help."  
  
Lauren looked at her for a minute before speaking again. "You should know, in addition to being the new NSC liaison, I'm also Michael Vaughn's wife..."  
  
Sydney's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't help the complete look of shock from covering her face. This is who he married! Swallowing the lump in her throat and trying to keep herself from crying, she managed to speak. "Hi."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The tension between them had started at that moment. Ever since their first meeting, they had been bitchy with one another. Lauren disliked Sydney for being close with her husband, and Sydney hated Lauren for being married to Vaughn.  
  
Lauren had sat down on the bed, leaning against the wall. Syd looked over at her and decided to break the silence.  
  
"Was everything ok with your tests?" Sydney asked curiously.  
  
Lauren looked at her, surprised that she was talking to her. She was unsure about whether or not to answer her, but then she decided that if Sydney was trying to be nice then she could at least make an effort.  
  
"I'm not sure yet. But I found out that I'm pregnant." She replied. She watched as Sydney laughed nervously. "Excuse me?" This couldn't be happening. She already had the man Sydney loved, and now she had to go and have his child. If anybody ever tried to tell her that life is fair, then she would probably kill him or her, as nothing about this situation was fair.  
  
"You heard. I'm having a baby." "Well who is the father?" Sydney asked puzzled.  
  
"Why does everybody keep asking me that? It's Michael's of course. Just because you make a habit of chasing other women's husbands doesn't mean I do." 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Lauren glared at Sydney, feeling quite pleased about her last remark. She was sick and tired of Sydney obsessing over her husband, and it felt good to be finally saying all the things she wanted to say to her without Michael interrupting them.  
  
"Excuse me? I don't chase after anybody's husband Lauren; Vaughn's a big boy he can do what he wants." Syd could fell her cheeks burning as her argument with Lauren began. She wanted nothing more than to walk up to her and show her the martial arts training she received when she first joined SD-6. But for the sake of Lauren's supposed unborn baby, she held back... at least for now.  
  
"He's married, or have you conveniently forgotten that?"  
  
"So big deal he's married, to you. It doesn't stop us feeling the way we do about each other. It'll never stop me from loving him." Sydney watched as Lauren's face wrinkled in disgust.  
  
"Sydney your living in the past. He may have loved you two years ago when you two were a couple. But even if you haven't moved on he has, trust me I know. So the quicker you join us all here in the present, the happier we all will be." Lauren frantically waved her arms as she spoke. She was feeling frustrated and she knew that Sydney was the cause of this.  
  
"You may be happier, but what about Vaughn? Have you ever asked him what he wants? You think that you have this solid marriage, where you both are happy. But Vaughn's not happy Lauren, and he never will be as long as he's with you."  
  
"Before you came back, Michael and I were perfectly happy, in a loving relationship. And then you had to come back, and expect everything to be how it was! Did you seriously think that you could just return and everything would be the way it was?" asked puzzled Lauren.  
  
"No, I didn't. But the thing that got to me the most was that the most loving, caring, generous man you could ever meet married such a cold, heartless bitch. How did you do it Lauren? How did you make him marry you?" Sydney stood with her arms resting on her hips, enjoying the fact that she was tormenting Lauren.  
  
Lauren laughed in shock. She couldn't believe that she was being spoken to like something Sydney had scraped off of her shoe. "I didn't have to make him marry me. And not that its any of your business, but he proposed to me, so before you get any ideas that he was forced into becoming my husband, you can think again." Lauren turned away, wanting the conversation to finish. But Sydney wasn't done.  
  
"Fine, he may have married you voluntarily, but that doesn't mean that he'll be your husband for much longer." Lauren spun around on her heels, her obviously not amused by Sydney's comeback. "And what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You're a smart girl Lauren, you figure it out." Now Sydney was done, and she sat down on the bed, opening up a magazine. Lauren stormed over to her and ripped the magazine out of her hands. "Now you listen to me," she pointed her finger in front of Syd's face as she spoke to her. "Whatever your little plan to break up my marriage is, you can forget it. You and I have something in common; we both care a lot about Michael. But the difference is Sydney, I'm not gonna lose him like you do, he means too much to me for me to let that happen. So a little warning to you, don't try to come between us, or you'll pay." Lauren stared at her for a minute, before moving slowly away. Sydney brushed the strands of hair that had fallen free from her braid, whilst she considered what Lauren had just said to her. "Is that a threat?" 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
"Just stay away from my husband. I'm not discussing this with you anymore, this conversation is over." Lauren raised her eyebrows as she spoke, each word coming out harshly.  
  
Sydney had had just about enough of this. She had almost tolerated some of the things Lauren had said to her, but hearing her say that she couldn't go near Vaughn was just going to far. She pushed herself up off the bed, taking Lauren by surprise. Using all the energy that she had, she pushed Lauren back against the wall, taking her breath away. Holding Lauren up by the neck, she could see the fear in her eyes. But that didn't stop her.  
  
"I don't take too kindly to threats. And nobody and I mean nobody will make me stay away from Vaughn. I love him Lauren, more than you ever could, but more importantly he loves me back. That's just a little something for you to think about. Oh, and before I forget, remind me to teach you how to make threats, because your attempt was pathetic." She moved away from Lauren just as Vaughn re-entered the room. He looked at both of them, trying to figure out what had just happened. The two women just stood glaring at each other.  
  
"Agent Bristow, we're ready for you now." Dr. Nicholas was stood in the doorway waiting patiently.  
  
"Ok, I'll be right there." She walked towards Lauren, and spoke quietly to her. "Try to threaten me or keep me away from Vaughn again Lauren, and you will be sorry. And just so we're clear: that was a threat. NOW the conversation is over." She said as she slowly moved away from Lauren.  
  
Vaughn watched her as she was talking to Lauren. He could clearly tell that she was upset over something. As she walked past him, she stopped and looked at him. The pain that he saw in her eyes was killing him, but he couldn't figure out what had caused it. He knew that it was probably something that Lauren had said to her, or maybe it was something he had done. But she didn't give him a chance to ask. "We need to talk." She said as she quickly left the room. Once she was gone, Vaughn decided that it was time he sorted his life out. Starting with Lauren.  
  
"What did you say to her Lauren?" He asked questioningly.  
  
"Nothing. Why do you always assume that I've done something to her? Michael, the woman has a mouth, she is quite capable of sticking up for herself, she doesn't need you to defend her all the time."  
  
"Syd's not an angry person Lauren, you must have done something to her. And just so we're clear, I don't defend her all the time, but when I see somebody treating her badly I have to step in." The wrinkles were forming again on his forehead, just like they always did when he was worried about something.  
  
"Michael, we need to talk about what I told you earlier. We can discuss Sydney Bristow later. But right now I want us to talk about the baby." Lauren sat down on the bed, and waited for him to join her. Sitting side by side, Vaughn realised how he had forgotten about Lauren's news, he had been too concerned about Sydney.  
  
"Are you planning to keep it?" Vaughn asked.  
  
Lauren looked down at the floor, feeling glad that they were finally talking about something other than his ex-girlfriend. "I want us to have a family, if that's what you mean. I know we had discussed having children in the future, but I think now is as good a time as any."  
  
"What about our careers? Having a baby changes everything." Vaughn hadn't always liked his job, but it was apart of his life. It was what brought Sydney into his life. Leaving the CIA would be like saying goodbye to her, which was something that he didn't want to do.  
  
"I know that it will change everything, but I don't want to be working for NSC for the rest of my life. And I'm sure that being a spy isn't all that you're capable of doing. You know we could move away from Los Angeles and get safer jobs, ones that don't require us to risk our lives for the good of the country. We could buy a bigger place in Washington, or anywhere you like." Lauren took hold of his hand, and turned to look into his eyes. "Michael, having this baby would be so good for us, we could finally get away from here. You could even take up teaching again."  
  
"Are you sure that that's all you want to get away from? By us moving away, changing our jobs, it's like your trying to cut Sydney out of my life. I've only just got her back again Lauren; I'm not ready to lose her again." Vaughn stood up off the bed, running his hand through his hair.  
  
"What exactly are you trying to say Michael?" Lauren asked. 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
What was he trying to say? He was unsure himself, so how was he meant to tell his wife. Even though Sydney wasn't supposed to be his main priority anymore, he often found himself running his life around her. He didn't want to move away as that would mean that he would have to leave her behind. But would staying in LA be any fairer to her? In nine months time Lauren would have had her baby, and Syd would have to deal with living in the same place as them. One thing was for sure; he didn't want to cause her anymore pain.  
  
"Lauren, I'm sorry this is just all happening too quickly. I mean a couple of days ago, everything was normal and now we're having a baby! This was just so unexpected, I'm not quite sure how to handle it." At least he was being honest with her, for what could have been the first time in their marriage.  
  
"I know, it's scary, but we can handle it together." She pulled him towards her, and embraced him in a hug. "We don't have to move away if you don't want to, but I just thought that it would be best for all of us."  
  
"I know you did Lauren, and it was a nice thought honestly. But I can't just move away from Los Angeles. My whole life is here, my job, my apartment, my friends..."  
  
"And Sydney. We both know that's where this is going, so why don't you just admit it? The one reason why you won't leave LA is because of her. The CIA isn't just in LA Michael; you could go back to Langley. As for your apartment and friends we could buy a new place and you'd make new friends. Weiss could come and visit. But none of that stuff matters to you really. It's all about Bristow." A tear fell down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.  
  
"I won't lie to you Lauren. But yeah, she is one of the main reasons why I won't leave. I've adjusted my life to not being with her, but I'm not ready to cut her out altogether. And that's what it feels like your asking me to do, when you say that we should move away." Vaughn knew that she was upset, but so was he. Sydney was a big part of his life and losing her once had nearly killed him. He couldn't lose her again.  
  
"You're leaving me for her aren't you?" There was a long pause before Vaughn answered. He looked down at his shoes, not quite sure whether or not he should answer her. How was he supposed to tell his wife that he wanted to be with his ex-girlfriend instead of her? He kept thinking about his wedding day, how he had said his vows and actually meant them. But now he felt like his was going against his vows; against his wife. If she hadn't told him that she was pregnant, it would have been easier to tell her the truth. But she was pregnant, and he couldn't just leave his unborn child. Could he?  
  
"You asked me a while ago, whether I was still in love with her." He stopped as the memory came back to him. Lauren looked away from him, feeling certain that she knew where this conversation was leading. "I avoided answering you then. I was afraid to admit it to myself, let alone you. But I can't go on hiding any longer, pretending to be someone I'm not. I loved Sydney from the first day she walked into my office, after finding out the truth about SD-6. I could see the pain in her eyes after finding out that her life was lie and that this lie had killed her fiancé. I continued to love her, even though protocol stopped me from being with her. I still love her when we were finally a couple, until she was taken away from me. And now that she's back, I've realised that I do still love her, and I'm not afraid to admit it anymore."  
  
"So that's it? We're over?" Lauren stopped wiping the tears off of her face. She just let them continuously fall down her cheek.  
  
"I didn't say that." He felt guilty for making her cry, when all the pain in her life was caused by his lies.  
  
"Just think, soon we'll be parents. That's if you're willing to be this baby's father? I want to keep it Michael, but I can't do it without you. I don't want my baby to grow up with only one parent. Even if you don't want to stay with me out of love, at least stay for you baby." She was pleading with him, hoping that he would agree.  
  
"I do love you Lauren, never question that." He was silent for a couple of minutes, his head aching with the previous events. Finally he decided that his life needed to be sorted out. Starting with his wife. "I'm willing to give our marriage another chance, if you are." He pushed thoughts of Sydney to the back of his mind; it was about time that he put his wife first.  
  
"Do you mean that?" She asked as he nodded. Smiling she continued, "Of course I want to give us another chance. I love you Michael." The words just flowed out of her mouth, just like they had when she took her wedding vows.  
  
"I love you to Lauren." He moved closer to her, wiping the tears away from her face. She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him towards her. "We'll make this work Michael, you'll see." 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
An hour later Sydney returned after having her tests. She entered the room to find Vaughn sitting on the bed, with Lauren's sleeping head resting on his lap. His face looked deeply worried, whereas Lauren appeared to be quite content. Whilst Lauren was asleep Vaughn had been sitting tossing his wedding ring backwards and forwards thinking about the mess he had got himself into. He wanted to be with Sydney so badly, but a part of him felt a duty to stay with his wife and unborn child. He noticed Sydney walking in, and immediately felt uncomfortable. He looked down at Lauren silently hoping that she would wake up, so he wouldn't have to face explaining to Syd why he couldn't be with her.  
  
"Hey." Even though she was smiling at him, he could tell that she was upset. "Hi." He just about managed to get the words out. "How were you tests?" "Erm...they were ok I guess." She had so much that she wanted to say to him, but she was unsure where to start. Luckily for her, Vaughn found a way to start the conversation they both knew they had to have. "Syd, we need to talk." He carefully picked Lauren up and placed her on the bed. He stood up, his hands in his pockets. "What ever gave you that idea?" She asked sarcastically.  
  
Vaughn was hurt by this remark but he knew that he deserved it. "I take it you know about Lauren?" It was killing him to have this conversation with her. "Yes. She already broke the happy news to me." During the time that she had known Vaughn, they hadn't argued much. Their friendship had had a rocky start, but over time they had become good friends, they had even fallen in love with one another, even though neither admitted it. The feelings they had shared for each other often had no effect on their friendship, except for one time.  
  
Flashback  
  
Sydney and Vaughn were standing in the warehouse where they always met. They were talking about Sloane, but that wasn't the only thing that was on Sydney's mind. She had just found out about her father being suspected of betraying SD-6, and she feared for both his safety and her own. But right now she had to concentrate on Sloane. "There are so many things I hate about Arvin Sloane, but the thing that I hate the most is the way he wraps his criminal activity in a flag." It made her angry how he always tried to make it seem like what he was doing was for the good of the country. But she now knew the truth.  
  
"Well, we won't let him get away with it. Before you go we'll make a defective copy of that gyroscope for you to give to SD-6. We'll need to see those photographs." As usual Vaughn was dressed in one of his work suits. He had his hands in his pockets, a small smile spread across his face. "Dixon has them. He's already on his way to Nice." Sydney replied.  
  
"Then we'll have to get a team to France. When you're through with the mission make sure you're holding the gyroscope. We'll duplicate it on-site. And, Syd, you should know that, uh, we've been doing everything we can to help your father." Vaughn always managed to find a solution for problems, but the last thing he said caused a big problem for Syd. "You've been helping my father." She asked puzzled. "Yeah." He was quite unsure why she was asking him this, but he answered her anyway. "You knew the Alliance was investigating my father?" The tone raised in her voice slightly, as she realized she had been betrayed by the one person that she trusted the most. Vaughn. "Yes." He still couldn't figure out where she was going with this.  
  
"For how long." Her eyes filled with tears as she waited for an answer. "Two weeks. Syd, I understand you're upset." His forehead creased with wrinkles, as it all became clear to him. She was upset because he hadn't told her about what was going on with her father. "Yeah, I am."  
  
"Your father explained why we hadn't told you." He was trying to reason with her, but Sydney Bristow was a stubborn person, if something made her angry, she wouldn't let it drop. "Now that I've had time to think about that..." Vaughn cut her off as she began to yell.  
  
"It was a question of your safety." He admitted to her. "He was almost killed! I saved him!" She continued to yell, her arms waving frantically in front of her. "It hadn't gotten to that..." Vaughn's voice was getting louder, as he too grew angry.  
  
"Yeah, but it did!" Syd stated, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.  
  
"I didn't want you to have more on your mind." Even though he had a girlfriend, he couldn't stop himself from worrying about Sydney. "Why are you worrying about what's on my mind?" She asked questioningly. It wasn't like they were dating. So why should he be concerned about her?  
  
"It was a judgment call." He tried to convince himself that by not telling Sydney, he was doing his job. But the truth was he was just being protective of her whether he had the right to or not. "It's a judgment call you've been making for the past three months!" "Involving you had no upside"  
  
Sydney burst into hysterics. "There's no upside to keeping me informed? You didn't tell me about Monolo or that you had discussions with my mother! You didn't even tell me that you were seeing Alice again!" She hadn't meant for that last statement to come out, but it was part of the reason why she was so mad with him. The night before her and Will had bumped into Vaughn and Alice as they were leaving a cocktail bar. Syd was under the impression that they had broken up, but obviously they hadn't. She thought that she could handle seeing them together, but she couldn't. She knew that she couldn't date him, as protocol forbid it, and also there was a list of people who would kill them if they were seen together. But she couldn't stand the fact that somebody else was allowed to date it.  
  
"Wait. What is this about?" Although he was sadden at the fact that seeing him and Alice together had upset Syd, part of him was glad that she was jealous. It showed him that she had feelings for him, just like he had for her. "This is about me being too old to be coddled!" She replied.  
  
"Your life is complicated, Sydney! Forgive me for trying to make it any easier!" "I don't need you for that!" She said harshly, glaring at him. She turned and left the warehouse, leaving Vaughn standing in the warehouse. Alone.  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Sydney...I didn't want you to find out this way..." He was trying to apologize but it was no use. "How did you want me to find out Vaughn?" She glared at him, the tone in her voice making Lauren stir in her sleep. "You have every right to be upset Sydney..." "Oh why thank you Vaughn, for allowing me to be upset. I find out that the man I love is about to have a baby with another woman, I think I deserve to show a little emotion." The tears flowed freely down her cheek.  
  
"What we talked about this morning, about Lauren not being the person I wanted to be with...I still mean that. But this baby changes everything."  
  
Sydney swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Are you going to stay with her?"  
  
"While you were having your tests, I've been thinking about the baby. I don't want to be one of those fathers who only see their children every other weekend, or for a couple of hours during the week. I don't want my child to grow up having only one parent. I did that Syd; I grew up with only my mother. I now have the chance to stop this from happening to another child." He wanted to run up and hold her, to tell her that everything would work out. But he couldn't, he didn't want to hurt her anymore. 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
  
"So that's it? You're gonna throw away everything we have because Lauren says that she's pregnant." Sydney looked at him questioningly, tears forming in her eyes. She had already lost him once; she couldn't bare to do it again,  
  
"I've made a commitment to Lauren, I can't just ignore that. And what do you mean, 'Lauren says that she's pregnant,' she is pregnant Sydney. Lauren's not the type of woman who would make something like that up."  
  
"Are you kidding me? Think about it Vaughn, she realised that she was going to lose you, so she made up a lie to make you wanna stay with her. She knows that you not the type of guy who will leave a child without a father. She's playing you. All she wants to do is keep us apart. Can't you see that?"  
  
"She wouldn't, she couldn't." Although he didn't want to admit it, but what Syd was saying made sense. But would his wife be cruel enough to pull a stunt like that?  
  
"Anyways, I can tell that she doesn't love you the way that I do, and this commitment that you're talking about is only a piece of paper and a band of gold! Why should that stand in the way of true love?"  
  
"Nothing can ever stop me from loving you, but Lauren must be my first priority now, for both her sake and the baby's. I have no choice." He turned and looked at his wife, who was still fast asleep.  
  
"You always have a choice Vaughn. When we're let out of here, you can come with me and we'll get away from here, we can start a new life somewhere else."  
  
"As much as I would love to run away with you Sydney, I can't. Their eyes locked, and Vaughn realised just how much he loved this woman. But he was sticking by his decision. His wedding vows said that he would stick by his wife no matter what, and this was the time for him to do that.  
  
"You know what Vaughn? Stay with her! I don't care anymore. I'm not gonna keep doing this, setting myself up just so I can be hurt by you. It's not worth it. There was a time when I would have waited forever for you, but what's the point in me making that sacrifice if you can't do the same?" He was silent, quite taken back by her sudden outburst. Sydney didn't mean any of the things she was saying, but she was trying to stop herself from looking vulnerable to him; acting like she cared about what he did with his life. Whether it worked or not, she was unsure, but Vaughn got the message that she was upset and he didn't say anymore. "I think it would be best if we keep our distance when we get out. I'll ask Dixon if my future missions can be done with Weiss. I'm sure he'll understand." She took one last look at him, remembering all the characteristics of his face, knowing that she wasn't likely to see him much after that day.  
  
"Syd..." His voice caught in his throat.  
  
"DON'T. I've said all that I have to say to you, I don't want to hear your excuses anymore." She sat on the bed, burying her head into her legs, trying to stop Vaughn from noticing the fact that she was crying.  
  
A couple of hours later  
  
Lauren had woken up, to find her husband sitting on the floor, with his head in his hands. She didn't know what she had missed whilst she was asleep, but the other two people in the room looked quite frustrated. She would just have to ask Michael what went on later. She was about to speak to him, when Dr. Nicholas entered the room, without his protective clothing on. That surely had to be a good sign.  
  
"I have some very good news for you all." He smiled at each agent as he spoke. "All of you tests results have come back, and I'm pleased to announce that none of you have the virus. You are all safe to go." Lauren's face filled with a grin, but Vaughn and Sydney were still not happy. Sure they were thrilled about not being sick, but Sydney was angry at the way she had left things with Vaughn, and Vaughn was angry at the fact that he had just lost Sydney...again. "We would like to thank you all for your patience, and I have spoken with Mr. Dixon and you don't have to return to work until Monday." He stood away from the door, allowing room for them all to leave.  
  
Sydney was first out. She picked up her things, and without looking at Vaughn or Lauren she left the room, wiping a fallen tear off her cheek. Vaughn watched her leave and had wanted to chase after her, telling her that he had changed his mind. But the feel of his wife's hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.  
  
"You ready to go honey?" She picked up her things and waited for him to answer. "Yeah, sure." Running his hand through his hair, he led the way out, and into the car park. Just as the got outside, he caught a glimpse of Sydney getting into her car. He stopped for a minute; just watching her and wishing that he were leaving with her. Lauren noticed that he had stopped, and she turned to see what the problem was.  
  
"Michael what is it?" She walked over to him to see that he was staring off in the other direction. Following the direction he was looking in, she spotted Sydney putting on her sunglasses and reversing out of her parking space. "Michael come on. It's only 3 O'clock, we can go and have lunch at that restaurant you like downtown." She tugged at his arm, as he tried to put all thoughts of Syd to the back of his mind. "Ok"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Sydney arrived back at her apartment, around 3:30. She checked her messages, one, which was off Weiss saying he would be over for dinner later that night. Typical of Weiss to be always thinking about food, but I can do with the company. She walked into her room to put on her running shoes. She ran a lot, most of the time she was trying to get something off her mind. Vaughn. She would have to get used to not having him on her mind, as now there was no chance of them being together. She shut the front door behind her, and began to run towards her favourite place, the park. 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
  
Later that night  
  
Sydney was lying on the couch thinking about the events of the day. Half of her regretted what had happened, the other told her it was time to move on with her life. A knock on the front door disturbed her thoughts. She opened the door, to find a tall, dark man standing on her doorstep carrying a pizza box.  
  
"Hey Syd, I thought you wouldn't be in the mood to cook, so I ordered us a pizza." Weiss held up the pizza box, the fresh smell of cheese and tomato making Sydney realise that she hadn't eaten at all that day.  
  
"Hi, come on in." She greeted him with a smile, the way she always did. He had become her best friend, the one person she could rely on, no matter what happened. He accepted her invitation, and walked in placing the pizza on the kitchen counter. Sydney took two beers out of the fridge, and opened the box taking a large slice of pizza. She followed Weiss into the living room, where they indulged in the pizza and beers.  
  
"So...how was it? Spending all that time with Vaughn and Lauren?" Weiss asked between mouthfuls.  
  
"It was exactly easy, we're both in love with the same man. But it was definitely eventful!" Syd laughed nervously.  
  
"Why what happened?"  
  
"Well...I thought that there was gonna be a chance for me and Vaughn again. You know, we were getting on so well, talking about old times and stuff. And then he told me that I was the one that he loved and not Lauren. But then everything changed." She fought back the tears.  
  
"You mean he stayed with Lauren?" Weiss put down his pizza, and focused on Syd. It was hurting him to see her so upset.  
  
"Yeah he decided to stay with Lauren. But it wasn't just out of love for her, it was because she's pregnant." Sydney no longer felt hungry.  
  
"WAIT! Lauren's pregnant?!?!?!? When did this happen?" His face was filled with confusion.  
  
"The doctors found out when they were testing her for the virus. Looks like they're gonna be one happy family." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Syd, I'm so sorry." He got up and hugged her.  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for, it's not like it's your fault. I'm gonna ask Dixon if all my future missions can be done with you. I know that me and Vaughn do great work together, but it just hurts too much to be around him. Besides I've already told him to keep his distance from me." She stared to clear away the pizza box.  
  
"Yeah sure, as long as that's what you want." Sydney didn't answer him. She was still unsure about whether or not she wanted to completely cut Vaughn out of her life.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
A couple of days later  
  
Vaughn woke up early to get ready for work. It was only 6:30am, which gave him plenty of time to shower and change before he had to leave. He was dreading seeing Sydney today, he was no longer sure of how to act around her. He would just have to talk to Weiss about it. He rolled over to find that Lauren was still asleep, so he left her that way.  
  
After putting on one of his dark suits he headed into the kitchen to make some breakfast. He was quite surprised to find Lauren sitting at the table with a glass of water in her hand. He hadn't even heard her get out of bed.  
  
"Why are you not dressed? You're gonna be late for work." He said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.  
  
"I'm not due in until lunchtime, I have a doctors appointment."  
  
"Is everything ok?" He asked, concern filling his face.  
  
"Yeah, it's just routine. I have to go and see my own doctor to confirm that I'm pregnant." She smiled at him happily. She had a slight feeling that she was more excited about this baby than he was. But she figured that in time he would come around.  
  
"Oh, ok. I'm best get going or I'll be late for work." He kissed her on the cheek, grabbed his jacket and left the house.  
  
At the operations centre  
  
Sydney had talked to Dixon when she arrived that morning. He had been sympathetic with her, and he said he understood her reasons for asking Weiss to be her new partner. Weiss was talking it over with him, whilst Sydney was catching up with some paper work. She noticed Vaughn walk in but she kept her head down. She had so much that she wanted to say to him, but she figured that making a scene would not help matters.  
  
Vaughn headed straight to his desk, to be greeted with a load of work that he need to catch up on. He took out a pen and started to write, but he was finding it too difficult to concentrate. He kept looking at Syd, but either she didn't notice or she was avoiding making eye contact with him. He decided that it was the latter.  
  
"Hey Syd. I just finished speaking to Dixon, and it's all sorted." Vaughn could hear Weiss' voice but he couldn't quite make out what he was saying.  
  
"Thanks for doing this Eric. You're a great friend." She replied.  
  
"Anyways we've got a debrief. Come on." He nodded his head towards the conference room. Sydney made her way there but Weiss remained behind.  
  
"Vaughn...Debrief buddy." He waited for Vaughn to catch up with him before he continued walking.  
  
Dixon was already in there with Jack, Marshall and a few other agents. Sydney took her seat as did Vaughn and Weiss. Sydney and Vaughn exchanged cold glances, which Jack noticed. "I would like to start by welcoming Agent Bristow and Vaughn back." Dixon began. Sydney gave him a fake smile, and Vaughn just looked down at the floor.  
  
"We received Intel this morning that Mr Sark has resurfaced and he has captured a scientist, a Mr. Stochansky, whom he believes will help him fit the Rambaldi device together. Sark will be taking Stochansky to his warehouse in Zurich tomorrow night, but obviously we will be there to intercept him. Sydney and Weiss here are you plane tickets." He slid an envelope down the table to them. "Good luck." Sydney and Weiss each took their ticket and placed it in their pocket.  
  
"Erm...excuse me but why is Weiss on this mission?" Vaughn asked, confusion all over his face.  
  
"Agent Weiss will be doing this mission with Bristow. Do you have a problem with that Agent Vaughn?" Dixon's face was sincere.  
  
"Yes I have a problem with that. I should be on this mission, after all I am Sydney's partner!" He was standing now, clearly not happy about the situation.  
  
"Really Vaughn? You certainly weren't my partner yesterday when you chose your wife over me. And I already told you that I was asking for Weiss to do the missions with me from now on." Everybody's eyes were focused on Sydney and Vaughn.  
  
"Yeah but I didn't think you were going through with it." He paused running his hand through his tousled hair. "So that's it...you're cutting me out of your life, just like that." He looked into her eyes, tears slowly running down her cheek.  
  
"Well you've already cut me out of yours so what does it matter." She grabbed her things, and pushed the chair from beneath her, leaving the room. The other agents just stood in silence, no one knowing what to say.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
When Vaughn got home that night, he found Lauren lying on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket. Her eyes were red and swollen as if she had been crying. She sat up when she saw him. "Lauren what's wrong?" Vaughn sat on the couch next to her.  
  
"I er...I went to the doctors today. And it turns out I'm not pregnant, Michael I never was. Dr. Nicholas made a mistake." She wiped away another fallen tear.  
  
Vaughn was speechless. He couldn't believe that he had pushed the woman he loved away for nothing.  
  
"But it's ok Michael. We can keep trying." That was it, he couldn't take anymore. He had to get out of this marriage.  
  
"No, we can't Lauren." He was finally able to say what was on his mind. "I don't love you the way that I should, and it wouldn't be fair to you, or myself if I was to keep living a lie. It's not fair to Sydney..."  
  
"Wait, what's SHE got to do with it?" Lauren stood up, and began pacing the living room.  
  
"I pushed her away. I told her that I still loved her and that I was leaving you, but then I stayed with you because I thought you were pregnant. I know that it's not right to stay with someone just because of that, but I felt a duty. And now that you're not pregnant, that duty has gone. I'm sorry Lauren for putting you through this." She was crying now, tears dropping down from her pale cheeks.  
  
"We could make this work Michael, if you really wanted to..." She was pleading with him.  
  
"That's not what I want. I want us to get a divorce." He took off his wedding ring, and placed it down on the table. 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
  
Lauren had stormed out after their fight, which gave Vaughn plenty of time to pack his things. After putting all of his bags in the trunk of his car, he stood for one last time in the house he shared with Lauren. This was it; he was finally saying goodbye to the part of his life that he didn't want anymore. Without looking back he got in his car and reversed out of the driveway. He didn't know where he was driving to, but that didn't bother him. He turned on the radio and decided that he would pay Sydney a little visit.  
  
After driving for 20 minutes, he pulled up outside her new apartment. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he just sat looking at the front door. His heart was pounding in his chest, as various thoughts entered his mind. What if she doesn't want to see me? If she won't take me back. I've hurt her so badly, what if she can't forgive me? Does she still love me? He decided that he would just have to take a leap of faith and hope that she still wanted him as much as he wanted her. He got out the car and walked up to the front door. There was a light on inside, so she definitely was home. He raised his hand ready to knock, but realised he couldn't go through with it. He needed some advice; he needed to talk to Weiss. Quickly walking away from her door so she wouldn't see him, he knocked next door at Weiss' apartment.  
  
He looked quite shocked when he opened the door to find Vaughn standing there in desperation. "Hey man, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Hi, I need to talk to you. Can I come inside?" Weiss stepped aside, allowing Vaughn to walk in.  
  
"What's up?" Weiss took two beers out of the fridge and handed one to his buddy.  
  
"I've left Lauren, and told her that I wanted a divorce." He took a sip of his drink, whilst Weiss got over the shock of what he just said to him.  
  
"What?!? But what about the baby?" He asked.  
  
"It was a mistake, the doctors were wrong. There never was a baby, and there never will be. But I realised that I couldn't continue to live with Lauren, I've already lost two years that I could have been with Syd, I don't want to lose anymore time with her. But I wanted to get your advice before I spoke to her."  
  
"I don't quite no what to say. But I know that you're doing the right thing, you and Syd are made for each other, you know it, she knows it, and Lauren probably knew it. Sydney may be a bit mad at you, but she'll come around."  
  
"Thanks Eric. I knew I could count on you to help." Vaughn patted him on the back, and stood up ready to leave. "I gotta go and talk to her."  
  
"No I wouldn't tonight." The puzzled look on Vaughn's face made Weiss laugh. "We've got that mission in Zurich tomorrow, she'll probably be getting ready. Besides it's a big mission, I don't think that she needs distractions. But you're welcome to stay here, if you have no where else to go." "Hey, about that mission I have an idea!" Vaughn's face lit up, as this crazy thought came into his mind.  
  
The following day, on a plane to Zurich  
  
Sydney was busy reviewing the plans for the mission. Her and Weiss were flying out separately as part of their cover. Looking over the file, Sydney noticed that the mission had slightly changed. Instead of going straight to the warehouse, they were to attend a ball held by Alexander Feliciano who was an associate of Sark's. Feliciano had the codes they would need to enter the warehouse, which he kept in a safe at his home. Which was were the ball was being held. Weiss and Syd were to attend separately and meet at the party, before going after the codes and then to the warehouse to retrieve Stochansky. It was a good job Sydney had bought an evening dress with her, otherwise she might have looked out of place wearing combats and a tank top.  
  
Before she had left, Marshall had given her and Weiss ear pieces which would allow them to communicate during the mission. She just hoped that they would be able to stop Sark, at least that would be one less thing that was on her mind.  
  
Five hours later, the plane had landed. This gave her just two hours to get herself ready for the ball.  
  
Later that night  
  
Sydney arrived wearing a long red dress. Her hair was pinned loosely on her head, with the odd curly strand falling free onto her face. Her little clutch bag contained various gadgets that she had also picked up from Marshall before she left. The ballroom was full of men wearing tuxes and women dressed in fancy gowns. It would be hard to find Weiss in this crowd. So she thought that she would just mingle, until he either made contact with her or she spotted him. At least she was wearing the earpiece so if he needed her he could just yell.  
  
In the corner of the room, a band was playing jazz, and in the centre of the room, couples were merrily dancing away. Syd picked up a champagne glass off a waiter, and surveyed the room for potential dates. It was about time that she moved on, there was no point waiting for a man that she could never have. And that's when she saw him. She could only see the back of his head, but she could tell that he was a handsome man. She stood watching him, sipping on her drink. He was talking to a small group of people but she still couldn't see his face, so she decided to get a closer look. 


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18  
  
As Sydney made her way over to him, she decided to check where Weiss was. She still wasn't sure if he had arrived yet. She twisted a gem on her bracelet, which activated the microphone. She then lifted her right arm, and pretended that she was fixing her hair, so she could talk to him.  
  
"Weiss? Weiss are you there?" She waited for an answer, which just never came. Assuming that he hadn't arrived yet, she thought that this would give her plenty of time to get to know this mystery man. She picked up another champagne glass off a waiter that walked by to help boost her confidence.  
  
Standing a couple of feet away from him, she couldn't believe how handsome the back of this guy was. He was quite tall with light brown hair. She could just about hear his voice as he spoke to the people he was standing with, and she had to admit his voice did sound a little familiar. A little like Vaughn's. She dismissed this thought, telling herself that she was just being paranoid, and that she needed to get Vaughn out of her mind. And the only way to do that was to start meeting new people. And she was about to do that with this guy.  
  
One of the guys who he was standing with noticed that Sydney had come over to talk to him. "Hey, I think there's someone here who would like to speak to you." He nodded at Sydney. "Yeah I would." She replied, smiling. The mystery man turned around, and suddenly it wasn't a mystery anymore. Was there no where were she could go to get away from him?  
  
"You know, on second thoughts I'd rather not." She turned on her heels fighting the urge to cry.  
  
"Wait Sydney..." he called after her, running to keep up. "Wait...please."  
  
She stopped but stood with her back to him. "Where's Weiss?" She asked.  
  
"I er, I asked him if I could come in his place." The words got stuck in his throat, but he managed to eventually get them out.  
  
"What?" She turned around so that she was facing him. Around them couples were dancing to the slow rhythm of the band's music. "Why would you do that Vaughn, when I particularly told you to stay away form me?" Her face was filled with confusion.  
  
"I needed to talk to you." He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked in the red dress. If it was possible, he felt like he was falling even more in love with her.  
  
"What could possibly have been so important that you couldn't have waited until tomorrow to tell me? I'm sure Lauren wouldn't like the idea of her husband flying across the world to see another woman." She was quite flattered and glad that he had come, but she was trying her hardest not to let her face portray this.  
  
"Will you dance with me?" He knew he was avoiding her questions, but he would reveal everything to her shortly. Right now, all he wanted to do was to dance with the person he loved, and pretend like nothing had changed. Like nothing had changed between them.  
  
"Vaughn..." She opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her.  
  
"Sydney...please!" She looked at him, his green eyes making her heart melt. "Okay." She finally dropped the angry act. She stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer to him, placing his hand on her back. Holding her close, he remembered how good it felt to be this close to her. It made him regret the mistake he had made marrying Lauren even more. For the next couple of minutes they danced in silence, each gazing into each other's eyes. They seemed to fit in perfectly with all the other couples around them, who appeared to be in love with the people they were dancing with. But finally Vaughn broke the silence.  
  
"The reason I flew out on this mission, is because I wanted to tell you that me and Lauren are over. There was no baby it was a mistake, and I've asked her for a divorce. I couldn't continue to live the lie that I was a happily married man, when the woman that I really wanted to be with...was you." He felt his heart speed up, the thought of her rejecting him making him worry.  
  
A single tear ran down her cheek, as she searched for something to say to him. "So that's it? You guys are over?" Her feelings were mixed up, sure she was happy that he was single, but did she really want to set herself up to get hurt again?  
  
They had stopped dancing at this point, but Syd remained in his arms. "Yeah, we're through. I was getting sick and tired of going home, wishing that it was you I was going home to. It just wasn't fair to Lauren or you."  
  
"Vaughn, a lot has changed between us..." He took her hand and led her away from the rest of the dancing people, into a quiet corner on the far side of the room. "I know that I've hurt you so much, and the fact that I've done that makes me so mad with myself. You've got to understand that I'm not expecting you to let me just walk back into your life again, because I don't deserve that." He stopped, noticing a clock on the wall. "Sydney we best get going, Sark and Stochansky will be here in less than ten minutes." Syd looked at the clock, and realised that he was right. The mission had to come first, and then they would have time to sort out this little problem.  
  
"Ok. Can we talk later?" Vaughn nodded his head. "I'm staying at the hotel up the road, room 452. Come by later and we can try and sort this out." She smiled at him, hoping that they could sort it out, but only time would tell. 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  
  
A couple of minutes later Vaughn and Sydney were running down a corridor in Feliciano's house. Sydney had informed Vaughn that the safe containing the codes was situated behind an old painting of a medieval castle. They had been searching for what seemed like ages before Vaughn spotted it.  
  
"Syd, over here." He carefully slid the painting aside revealing the door of a shiny metal safe. Sydney took out a decoder, which Marshall had given her, and placed it on the door, waiting for the safe's combination to be revealed. Thirty seconds later, she was looking at a piece of paper with 5 numbers on it. Without saying a word, the two agents ran out of the building and towards the warehouse that luckily for them was situated on the same estate.  
  
Syd took out her gun, which conveniently fitted in her purse, and scanned the perimeter for unwanted company. But everything appeared to be ok.  
  
"Let's go." She whispered to Vaughn. He missed being on missions with Sydney. Before she had gone missing, they were often partners in the field, but ever since his marriage to Lauren, Sydney had chose to either do her missions solo, or with Weiss. Maybe if their talk later went well, then he could look forward to more of these missions. He obediently followed her, remembering that this was after all her mission.  
  
Sydney's emotions were all mixed up. She was trying her hardest to focus on the mission, and stopping Sark. But another thought was taking over her mind. Vaughn. She was still in shock about him and Lauren. She had wanted this to happen for so long, and now that it had she didn't quite know what to say. A part of her hoped that they would be able to put all the mistakes and problems behind them, but would she be able to do that? Would she be bale to forgive him for marrying Lauren? She thought about this as they advanced down a poorly lit passageway. And the answer was yes. She would forgive him for anything, because she truly loved him.  
  
She stopped, and turned to him. "Vaughn if anything should happen on this mission, I want you to know that..."He put his hand over her mouth, preventing her from continuing. "I know." He smiled, looking deep into her eyes. She smiled and nodded before continuing with the mission.  
  
They finally reached the room where they assumed Stochansky was being held. Outside the room was a guard carrying a machine gun. "Wait here." She told Vaughn. She crept behind the guard and with a single blow to the back of the head; he was out cold on the floor. "Vaughn come on." She led the way into the room where the guard had been standing. Inside Sark was standing with his back to them, but he quickly turned to face them when he heard the door open.  
  
"Freeze." Vaughn yelled raising his gun, and aiming at Sark. Sydney did the same. In the centre of the room, Stochansky was tied to a chair, a blindfold covering his eyes. "It's over Sark, let him go." Sydney's voice was filled with anger. She hated Sark so much, and it was about time that he got what he deserved.  
  
"Ah, Agent Bristow. It's nice to see you again." He was sarcastic the way he always was.  
  
"Shame I can't say the same about you. Now let him go." She nodded towards Stochansky.  
  
"I'm sorry that this had to end up this way, but we will meet again." He winked at her, before taking out a gun and shooting at their feet, causing a distraction so that he could get away.  
  
An hour later  
  
Sydney couldn't believe that she had let Sark get away. She had been waiting for a long time to catch him, and she had lost that chance again. After he had escaped, Vaughn had taken Stochansky to a nearby safehouse. They had agreed to meet up later that night. When she got back to her hotel room, she showered and freshened up for when he arrived. She couldn't believe how nervous she was about him coming over, she felt like a young teenager again. Half an hour later there was a knock on her door. She took a deep breath before opening the door.  
  
"Hey." She smiled at him, her heart pounding in her chest. "Hi." He was dressed casually in jeans, and a shirt, which had the top two buttons open. His green eyes sparkled as he looked at her. "Come in." She stepped aside. He walked into the room, taking a look around. They turned to face each other, an awkward silence filling the room. "Shall I call room service and order some drinks or food?" She picked up the phone ready to dial. "I'm ok thanks. Look Syd..." He sat her down on the bed. "I miss you." He looked into her eyes. "I miss you too Vaughn." She couldn't believe how hot he looked just sitting on the bed.  
  
"Me and Lauren are history Sydney. There's nothing between us anymore, I don't even think that there ever was. When I married Lauren, I think that I was trying to replace you in a way, trying to make myself feel like you were still here. But that never happened Syd, there is no one in this world who could ever replace you. There's no one who I would ever want to replace you." He took her hand in his, and held it tightly. 


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20  
  
Vaughn held on to Sydney's hand, afraid that if he let go then he would lose her again. And that was definitely something, which he never wanted to happen. Sitting beside him on the bed, Sydney felt truly safe for the first time since she had returned. Even though everything was complicated right now, she felt that allowing Vaughn back into her life would make things a little bit easier.  
  
"Vaughn...that night when I woke up in Hong Kong, my first thought was about you. I had just found out that 'Francie' was a double, and I thought that somehow she had hurt you. And then when I found out that you had moved on and married another woman; there are no words to describe how I was feeling. Having to work along side Lauren, knowing that every night she would get to go home to you and act like a happy family. I convinced myself that everything would be better if I cut you completely out of my life. But every time that I was around you, I realised what a mistake I would be making by doing that." She smiled lovingly at him. "And I still stick by my decision. I want you to be a part of my life Vaughn." She looked at him, tears glistening in her eyes.  
  
"I made a mistake with my life Syd, and I'm hoping that you won't hold that against me as I would really like to be a part of your life." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. Sydney blushed, but couldn't help grinning at him.  
  
"So...where do we go from here?" Sydney asked.  
  
"It's entirely up to you Sydney. If you need time to adjust, then that's fine..." She stooped him, by passionately kissing him. Pulling away, she stared into his eyes. "I think I might have just answered my own question!" She said, winking at him.  
  
Six months later  
  
Vaughn reluctantly opened his eyes, after hearing the alarm clock go off. He hated being woken up, but waking up next to the woman of his dreams helped to compensate for this. He rolled over to see Syd still sleeping. Ever since that night in Zurich, they had become a couple again, going out on dates, walking hand in hand in the park. All the stuff that ordinary couples do. He was just watching her sleep, when his cell phone rang, disturbing him from his thoughts.  
  
"Hello." He said groggily.  
  
"Agent Vaughn, I'm glad you're awake." Dixon's voice made Vaughn regret leaving his phone switched on. "I know that you're not due in for a couple of hours, but I really need you to come in right now." He sounded sincere.  
  
Felling a little bit worried by Dixon's request, Vaughn sat up in the bed, doing his best not to disturb Sydney. "Is everything ok?"  
  
"I'm afraid it's about Lauren." 


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21  
  
Vaughn quickly got dressed, trying his best not to wake Syd. But that didn't work. He looked over at the bed to find Sydney laying there wide awake, wondering what on earth he was doing.  
  
"Vaughn, what's going on?" She asked sitting up in the bed. She pulled the quilt tighter around her, trying to block out the breeze which was coming through the window.  
  
"Nothing, go back to sleep hunny." He started to put on his shoes, and looked around for his jacket. His mind was full of thoughts about what could have happened to Lauren. He knew that even though she was no longer a part of his life, he still cared about her. Since that night when he told her that he wanted a divorce, they hadn't seen a lot of each other, except for the occasional cold glare, which he received when he walked past her at the office.  
  
"Vaughn, I'm not stupid, tell me what's going on. Who was on the phone?" She looked at him questioningly waiting for an explanation. He came and sat next to her on the bed.  
  
"It was Dixon. He called to ask me to come in right away." He stopped wondering whether or not he should tell her. He didn't feel comfortable talking about Lauren infront of her, it made him feel guilty about the pain he had put her through by getting married.  
  
"Vaughn you're keeping something from me, and I don't like it." The tone of her voice changed, and she began to sound angry. "What could be so important that he needs you to go in early?"  
  
"It's about Lauren. He didn't go into detail, so I don't know what's happened. I've gotta go Syd, I'll talk to you later." He got up to go, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.  
  
"I'll come with you Vaughn." He opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him with a kiss. "I want to be there for you. So no more complaining." She got out of the bed, and quickly changed.  
  
At the operations centre  
  
Sydney and Vaughn entered the building hand in hand. She had agreed that whatever the problem with Lauren might be, that she would stick with him. She had already lost him once she wasn't ready to lose him again. They made their way to Dixon's office, and Vaughn knocked loudly before entering.  
  
"Agent Vaughn. Thank you for coming in." He smiled at Sydney, not expecting to see her with Vaughn.  
  
"What's happened?" Vaughn's voice quivered slightly, as he waited for news about Lauren.  
  
Dixon looked down at his desk, and then back at Vaughn. "Agent Bristow could you please give us a minute." He asked politely. Sydney hesitated before turning to leave.  
  
"NO! Whatever you have to say to me, you can say infront of Sydney." He took hold of her hand so that she was standing next to him. She gave his hand a comforting squeeze.  
  
"Very well. Early this morning we received new Intel. It appears that Sark has resurfaced again." He paused registering their looks of surprise.  
  
Vaughn cleared his throat. "Don't get me wrong, that's bad and everything, but what has it got to do with Lauren?" His forehead wrinkled with concern and confusion. Dixon picked up a yellow file of his desk and handed it to him. "It seems that Mr. Sark has found himself a new partner..." Vaughn opened the file, and found various pictures of Lauren with Sark. Vaughn just stared down at the pictures, not believing what he was seeing. Sydney looked over his shoulder at the pictures, shocked at the news.  
  
"How did this happen? Surely the CIA or NSC would have known that she was working with him." Sydney began asking the questions that were secretly running through Vaughn's mind.  
  
"Lauren Reed hasn't been working for us or the NSC for some months now. She went rogue about a month after you were all released for quarantine." Vaughn placed the folder back on the desk, and walked over to stand by the window. He was silent for a few minutes, whilst he tried to process the news he had just received. "Why wasn't I told, that my ex-wife had gone rogue?" He asked turning to face Dixon.  
  
"It was simply on a need to know basis. At first the situation wasn't so dire. But that's changed now." He said looking down at the floor.  
  
"Why, what has changed?" Sydney asked, glancing at Vaughn. She wanted so badly just to walk over to him, and tell him that everything would be ok, but she wasn't sure if it would be.  
  
"Our Intel has confirmed that she is now an enemy of the United States. This is the reason why I wanted you here. I needed to tell you that she is now on the shoot to kill list. Both the NSC and CIA have decided that with all the intelligence your ex-wife knows, her and Sark could do tremendous damage to this country, and that's something which we cannot allow to happen." He felt sorry for Vaughn, he knew that that was something, which he didn't need to hear. 


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22  
  
Vaughn stared at Dixon in disbelief. "So that's it. Your gonna shoot her down, just like that?" Dixon didn't answer, but the look in his eyes gave Vaughn the answer to his question. Sydney looked at Dixon. He had always been such a good friend to her, but she hated him for putting Michael through this.  
  
"When was the last time you saw your wife Agent Vaughn?" Dixon asked. He knew what it was like to lose you're the woman you love. It had happened to him when Sloane had Diane killed. He couldn't help but sympathise with Vaughn. First he lost Sydney, the love of his life, and now Lauren was about to be taken away. Even though she wasn't a part of Michael's life anymore, Dixon knew that losing her would still effect Michael.  
  
Vaughn thought back to the last time that he had seen her. "I guess it was about a month after we were released from quarantine, just before she went back to NSC."  
  
"So you had no idea about her plans?" Dixon felt terrible for accusing him like this, but he had to know the truth.  
  
"What? How could you say that? Of course I didn't know about her plans. And even if I did, I would have tried to stop her!" Vaughn rubbed his temples, trying to make the headache, which was surfacing, to go away. The room fell silent.  
  
"What happens now?" She asked staring coldly at Dixon. She knew that it wasn't his fault, but she couldn't help but feel slightly angry towards him.  
  
"We have a team leaving in a couple of hours. They are going to Rome, which is where we believe they are staying. The team's main goal is to capture Sark and Reed, but if they resist capture, or try to fight back in any way, then the team has orders to shoot. I'm sorry Agent Vaughn..." Dixon sighed. "There's nothing more that we can do."  
  
Vaughn glanced over at Sydney. She didn't deserve to be going through all of this. He had to put a stop to this now. Lauren had caused Sydney enough pain, he had to make sure that she would no longer be around to cause anymore. He walked over to Dixon, who was sitting behind his desk. "I want to be on that team!" He stated. Sydney couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stood up to protest.  
  
"No, Sydney. Don't try and stop me. This is something which I've got to do." Vaughn turned his attention back to Dixon. "So, am I on the team?" Dixon could tell that he was determined.  
  
"Agent Vaughn, I don't think that you going to Rome would help the mission. You are too emotionally attached to this." Dixon showed no signs of backing down. Vaughn didn't like the answer, which he received. He banged his fists down on the desk, "I'll ask again. Am I on the team?" Dixon looked down at his desk. If it had been any other Agent who was behaving like this, he probably would have taken procedures to have him disciplined. But he knew that what Vaughn was going through was tough, and he also didn't think that it would help Sydney to have the man she loved punished. She had been through enough already, he didn't want to make it any harder on her.  
  
"Why do you want to be a part of this team?" Dixon questioned. He already knew the answer, but he needed to hear it.  
  
"Why do you think? I'm probably the cause of all of this. If I hadn't walked out on her she would probably still be here doing her job. I need to go and stop her, and if I have to shoot her down, then so be it." Sydney felt terrible that Vaughn was blaming himself. After all the breakdown of his marriage was partially her fault too.  
  
Dixon sat in silence for a minute, considering Vaughn's answer. Finally he gave in. "Ok, Agent Vaughn, you can go, but only on the grounds that you do not jeopardise this operation. Are we understood?" Vaughn nodded. Dixon took out some folders, signalling that it was time for them to leave him to get on with his work. But Sydney walked over to his desk. "Dixon, could I have permission to be on the team also please?" She looked at Vaughn, who seemed shocked at her request. Dixon looked up from his work.  
  
"Look I know you're gonna say that I'm too involved with this..." She began pleading with him. "But I'm a good agent, I know how to do this job properly. I want to make sure that we get Lauren and Sark for good."  
  
Vaughn couldn't believe just how lucky he was. He was in love with the most perfect woman, who would do anything for him. He looked at Dixon hoping that he would agree. "Very well Sydney. Just make sure we end up with results!" Sydney smiled, and then her and Vaughn left the room, ready for the mission ahead of them. 


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23  
  
On a plane to Rome  
  
Sydney sat across from Vaughn who was staring out of the small plane window. He hadn't spoke for nearly an hour, which was making Sydney worry about him even more. They were on a private plane, filled with about 20 other agents. Weiss was sat next to Sydney snoring, as he had fallen asleep ten minutes after they had taken off. Finally Sydney couldn't take the silence for any longer.  
  
"Vaughn?" He never answered her; he seemed to be in a world of his own. Not wanting to draw any attention to them, she kept her voice low as she spoke again. "Vaughn?" He heard her this time and tore his eyes away from the window.  
  
"Yeah..." He waited to hear what she had to say.  
  
"Are you ok?" She asked, her face full of concern. He looked down at his hands, as if he was searching for an answer. "I'm fine." He lied. He knew that he felt nothing but fine, but he didn't want Sydney to have anything more to worry about. She sensed immediately that he was lying, so she carefully stood up not wanting to wake Weiss, and moved to sit beside her boyfriend.  
  
"Michael, you don't have to do this you know. It's not too late for you to back out. None of us will think any less of you." She took hold of his hand, and held it gently in hers.  
  
"I'm not backing out of this Syd. It's something that I've got to do." He looked at her hoping that she would understand.  
  
"I know that, but..." She paused looking for a way to best voice her concerns. "Lauren's changed Vaughn, no one knows what she's capable of. But you, you are still that sweet, kind man that I fell in love with. But what if when we get to Rome we find Lauren. And then she has a gun pointed at you, and you have one pointed at her. She's not gonna hesitate to shoot you Vaughn, we both know that. But in that second that it would take you to consider whether or shoot to shoot you ex-wife, you could be dead." Tears were freely falling down her cheek. Vaughn lifted his hand and wiped the fallen drops with his thumbs. "I've lost you once Vaughn, I couldn't lose you again, that would actually kill me." She lent in and kissed him passionately on the lips.  
  
Breaking apart, Vaughn tried to ease her worries. "Hopefully it won't come down to that Syd. But if it happens and it turns out that we both have guns aimed at one another, I'm gonna be the first to shoot. I promise." He kissed her lightly on the forehead, as she rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
Rome  
  
The CIA had tracked Lauren and Sark to a hotel in the centre of Rome. The plan was for all the agents to storm into the hotel, and capture Sark and Lauren. But is she was to refuse arrest then she would be killed. Sydney stood with Weiss outside the hotel, whilst Vaughn adjusted his comm. link. All the agents were dressed in tactical gear guns at the ready. Making sure that Vaughn was out of earshot, Eric looked at Syd, his face displaying fear, anxiety and concern. "Syd, is he up for this mission?"  
  
Sydney glanced over at the man she loved. "Honestly, I don't think he is. I know that him and Lauren aren't exactly together anymore, but I don't think that he has it in him to kill her. I've tried to talk him out of it, but he won't listen. We're just gonna have to hope that everything goes as planned." She smiled at him, trying to make him feel better. "Come on, it looks like they're ready for us!" She said nodding over in the direction of the agent who was in charge. Agent McKenna was a middle aged man who had worked for the agency for almost 20 years. He was signaling all the agents to gather round, as it was time to start the mission.  
  
"Right, I want this mission to be clean. No civilian casualties. Agent Brown will be watching the security camera footage to alert us of any interference, so listen to your comm. links. Now let's go!" He began to run towards the building followed by all the other agents.  
  
Sydney glanced nervously at Vaughn as they entered the fancy hotel. The people inside the hotel screamed and gasped as the team advanced through the main hotel lobby. Agent McKenna stopped on the stairwell, causing the other agents to listen. "Split up. Each group takes a floor each. Make sure that they do not get away." The group dispersed into small groups, Sydney, Vaughn, Weiss and another agent called Agent Cole, ran up the stairs to the third floor. They all had their guns out, aimed infront of them.  
  
Each floor was filled with about fifteen rooms, so they had to break down each door as quickly as they could and scan the room for Sark and his accomplice.  
  
"Me and Syd will take the doors on the left, you two take the right." Vaughn instructed. Weiss nodded and him and Cole took the first door. Weiss kicked down the door, and entered with caution. The room was clear; the occupants obviously out for the evening. "Clear!" He yelled, as they ran back out of the room.  
  
Vaughn busted through a door, to find a man and a woman sitting by the window drinking a glass of wine. The woman screamed as the door burst open, and the man just shouted abuse as the two agents entered the room. "Sorry." Sydney said, lowering her gun as they left the room again.  
  
They continued to have no luck, as each door revealed no Sark or Lauren. Vaughn came up to the last door, and kicked it open. He gasped as he spotted Lauren standing in the center of the room unpacking a suitcase. "FREEZE!" Vaughn yelled holding his gun up to her. Sydney stood by his side, her gun also focussed on Lauren.  
  
"Michael! How nice to see you again!" Lauren said taunting him.  
  
"Put you hands where we can see them." Sydney ordered, glaring at Lauren.  
  
"Aww, isn't this nice. You even bought your girlfriend along to see me. I'm touched." She smiled coldly at Sydney, who noticed that her behavior was slightly psychotic, with that or she was drunk.  
  
"This is no social call Lauren. Hands in the air!" Lauren rolled her eyes as she raised her hands. "Now, tell us where Sark is."  
  
Lauren glanced around the room and then back at Vaughn. "Well he's obviously not here!" She said laughing to herself. Seeing how the other two people were not as amused as she was, she gave them another answer. "He's gone out. And before you say it, I don't know where!" She shrugged. Weiss and Cole ran into the room, after not hearing Vaughn shout clear.  
  
"Woo!" Weiss said as he saw Lauren.  
  
"Weiss check the bathroom!" Vaughn said, not taking hi eyes off Lauren. Weiss nodded and went towards the bathroom, which was all clear. "Clear."  
  
"You're leaving with us now!" Vaughn stated as he took a pair of handcuffs out of his back pocket. He tossed them over to her. "Put these on, and don't try anything stupid. I won't hesitate to shoot you." Sydney breathed deeply, relieved that it was nearly over.  
  
"Michael, you really don't need to have a gun pointed at me. I wouldn't try and kill somebody that I love..." She looked at him for a minute, her eyes glistening with tears. But Vaughn wasn't going to fall for her act. She looked down as she started to fasten the handcuffs around her wrists. She paused. "However, HER," She nodded at Sydney, "Let's just say I'm not that compassionate about what happens to her." She reached behind her and pulled a gun out, shooting it once at Sydney, before jumping down on the ground, thinking that that would save her.  
  
The bullet hit Sydney directly in the chest, sending her falling to the ground. "NO!" Vaughn screamed, tears running down his face. He turned to Lauren and shot his gun several times, ensuring that each bullet hit her. "You b!" He cried as she lay lifelessly on the floor. Dropping the gun, he fell down on his knees beside Syd's injured body. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**  
  
"Sydney!" Vaughn cried out her name, as he picked her up, cradling her in his arms. She lay there motionless, as tears ran freely down Vaughn's cheek. Weiss stood silently by the door, with Cole at his side, praying that she would be ok.  
  
"Sydney, come on open your eyes! You're not gonna leave me her Syd." He gently brushed the strands of her from her face, while all the time holding her close to him. He dropped his head down, resting it on her forehead, wishing that she would just open her eyes.  
  
"Vaughn?" He shot up to find Sydney's eyes slowly opening.  
  
"Oh my God! Syd, I thought I'd lost you." The tears kept on coming, as he leant down and kissed her.  
  
"Did you really think you would get rid of me that easily?" She asked. She raised her hand and wiped the tears that were still falling down his face. Vaughn was amazed to see that at least she still had her sense of humour.  
  
"Syd, where did the bullet hit you?" His eyes were full of concern, his forehead covered in wrinkles. Without speaking, Sydney lifted up the bottom of her top, revealing a black vest with the bullet lodged into it. Vaughn breathed a sigh of relief, his heartbeat beginning to return back to normal.  
  
"You were wearing your bullet proof vest!" Vaughn exclaimed. Hearing himself say that made him realise that she was safe, he hadn't just lost her again. The force of the bullet hitting her had caused her to black out momentarily. But luckily the vest had prevented it from injuring her.  
  
"Of course I was. I couldn't go and die on you now, could I?" She smiled at him. He leant in for another kiss, and then turned to Weiss. "You best call somebody to get the body." He nodded in the direction of Lauren. He picked Syd up in his arms as if she were a baby, and walked towards the door.  
  
"Vaughn, I can walk. It's not like I'm injured!" She protested jokingly, only half meaning it.  
  
Vaughn stopped, but remained with her in his arms. "I want to look after you Syd, even though you are perfectly healthy. Look, back there I thought that I had lost you for good again, and that you were never coming back to me. I thought I'd never get the chance to tell you how much I love you. But now that I have you in my arms, I know that you're safe." Vaughn looked down at her lovingly. She smiled at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay!" She agreed, and he continued walking only to be stopped at the door by Weiss.  
  
"I'm glad that you're ok Sydney!" He kissed her on her forehead and patted Vaughn on the back. "Take care of her man!"  
  
"Don't worry I will." Vaughn's grin grew as he prepared to take the woman he loved home.  
  
****

**A Week Later**  
  
Sydney rolled over to see Vaughn asleep next to her. She loved waking up and watching him sleep, feeling lucky that she had been given a second chance to make things work with him. She didn't want to wake him, so she carefully rolled out the bed to get ready for work. As soon as she put one foot out of the bed, she was pulled back under the covers. Laughing she turned over to see Vaughn with one eye open smiling at her.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her pulling her close to him.  
  
"I was going to get ready for work, otherwise we're gonna be late!" She snuggled closer to him, thinking that she wouldn't mind staying like that for a little bit longer, even if it did mean that they were gonna be late.  
  
"You don't have to do that." Vaughn replied, as he planted light kisses down her neck. "Dixon said that we could both take some time off. He knows that we've been through a lot this past year, and there were no big missions planned, so we're free for a couple of weeks. Besides I'm sure you'd rather be going on holiday then going into work!" He watched as her face light up.  
  
"We're going away?" She asked, her eyes glistening and a smile covering her face. Vaughn reached over and picked an envelope up of the dresser. He handed it to Syd who opened it quickly. Inside were two tickets to Hawaii. Sydney laughed excitedly.  
  
"Hawaii? We're going to Hawaii?" Vaughn nodded and she threw her arms around his neck pulling him in for a kiss. "You are definitely the greatest boyfriend ever, you know that right?" She asked, their faces barely inches apart.  
  
"So I've been told!" He laughed. "But I don't want to be just the greatest boyfriend..." Sydney raised her eyebrows wondering where he was going with this. He leaned over and picked something else up. "I'd like to give it a go at being the greatest husband, that's if you'll be my wife Syd?" Sydney's smile continued to grow.  
  
"Are you asking me to marry you Agent Vaughn?" Sydney asked, knowing what the answer would be.  
  
Vaughn opened up a small box, to reveal a silver ring, with a cluster of white diamonds in the middle. "Yeah I am. I love you so much Syd, I don't know what I would do without you. So, will you marry me?" He sat up in the bed, causing her to do the same.  
  
"Yes Vaughn. Of course I'll marry you!" She kissed him again, and then broke away so that he could put the ring on her finger. She sat admiring her ring, putting her arm out infront of her, making the diamonds sparkle.  
  
"I love you Michael." She took hold of his hand, entwining their fingers.  
  
"I love you too, Mrs Vaughn."

**The End**


End file.
